Miracles Happen
by AdmiralChirko
Summary: Mariah has a secret... it may not be blatantly obvious to some, but to others, they can see through her. Will they be able to see through the hurt she has endured through her life and show her love - the one thing missing from her life... besides her father...
1. Chapter 1

**(So this is basically back story right now**. **The story will pick up in the next two chapters waaaay more XD :D enjoy. I really didn't want to study for tests and go shopping so I started doing this. If you like it, tell me to update it and I will! I will not neglect you guys! 3)**

They both adorned their faces with scars - the difference being Mariah's were not caused by war. They might as well have been from her harsh and battle stricken upbringing.

The girl had never known her mother, nor did she want to find out who she was. Mariah never saw the resemblance of anyone else in her except her father. Growing up, the hard man had taken care of her for a while, but soon wanted nothing to do with her. For ten years she had lived with him. She idolized him. Everything he did, Mariah wanted to do.

When she had first noticed the marks on the side of his face, she was startled. During a prolonged absence due to his job, this gave Mariah her opportunity. Taking a spare knife he stashed in his room, she carefully cut a few marks into the side of her face. As she made the last cut, a silhouette appeared. Turning, she dropped the knife amidst her tears. Her father entered trough the threshold and looked down at the bloodied face that greeted him and stared, coldly.

"I wanted to be just like daddy!" The four year old giggled.

"There's other ways to do that..." He picked her up, examining the deep cuts on her cheek.

"Like what?" Mariah had asked, innocently.

"You'll find out when you're older. Now I have to get back to work..." He put her back onto the ground, looking down at her. Slowly, he turned around and walked away.

Mariah was use to this. She knew her way around her home. The men with guns knew who she was and question why she was allowed to live here. As long as her father did his job, no one cared what this little child did.

One of the times someone did mind what this child did was when she was five and a half. During this year of her life, she had become much more adventurous and risky. While she was exploring the grounds one day, she had discovered a balcony. Her young, child eyes could see into the distance and seemingly beyond that. Taking a seat by the edge, the innocence she once possessed was harshly ripped out of her as she saw her father shoot another man. Her brown eyes were now tainted with blood and death as she watched his head become bloodied. The pool of blood trickled around the man as her father walked away. Her eyes never wavered from the corpse.

That evening, her father was working in his office on his computer. Mariah wandered in, watching as he seemed not to notice her.

"Was he a bad man?"

He said nothing, continuing to read information off of the monitor. She encroached upon him, tugging at his leg.

"Was he a bad man?"

"Who..." He mumbled, typing on the keyboard.

"The man you... killed..." She looked up at him, wide-eyed.

"So you saw that..." He glanced down at her, leaning back in his chair.

"Was he dad?"

"Yes," he picked her up, setting her down on the desk to face him, "he wanted to hurt me and you."

"... he did..." She gasped, covering her hands over her mouth.

"When you get older, you will understand what I do is to protect... us..." He paused, looking at her blankly.

"I want to help fight them off!" She exclaimed, nodding enthusiastically.

"You're too young. Now, you can stay if you want but I have work to do..." He went back to looking at the computer screen. She turned to face the screen but could only recognize a few words. It made no sense to her what he was doing, but she just wanted to be loved by him and appreciated. If that meant he had to kill and harm people, she would stand by him.

It was a fairly quiet evening. After that little chat with her father, she had jumped off his desk and nestled into the space beneath it. It was a cozy spot. Even thought they did not say a word to one another, Mariah felt something else from her father... It could have simply been agitation or annoyance, but she could not tell. Hours went by and she sat, watching him. Around seven in the evening, she had managed to fall asleep. For a few hours, she slept soundly.

Abruptly, she was woken up by yelling. It was her father... but who was the other voice...

"I did what was necessary, you know that."

"That's complete BS and you know it!" She heard her father yell, slamming him hand on the desk. As he slammed his fist down, it loosened a hidden compartment within. From the top, a gun fell out of the exposed recess.

"You killed that bastard today and you're complaining to me about BS?!" The man growled, angrily.

"That soldier was a traitor. He was going to give us up to the Ghosts."

Mariah held the cumbersome weapon in her hands, gripping the base. It was a simple 9 mm pistol. Her father must have hidden it in case of emergencies. She had remembered how he used the weapon in practices. Carefully she turned the safety off and loaded the gun. Quietly, she started to move out from under the desk as the shouting got louder and louder. Peeking out from under the desk, she managed to see to foreign man. His black unkept hair accent his yellowed teeth. Mariah saw the man take a lunge at her father with a freshly sharpens knife.

"Die you son of a -"

Without hesitation, Mariah fired a single shot - through his heart. Instantly, the intruder slumped over, lifelessly. With stunned eyes, her father looked at her with a look of intrigue and gratitude.

"He was a bad man..." Mariah replied getting closer to the man she had killed. Looking down into his cold eyes, she did not even flinch. Nothing. Nothing but hatred coursed through her body. Why would anyone want to harm her father? He was doing his job...

But that was then. This was now. The little girl that once idolized him simply robotically complied with his demands. She knew he never loved her. The only thing he felt towards her was admiration. He admired how she had turned out to be just like him. The brown locks of hair and matching brown eyes were a mere reflection of the past.

After she had been separated from her father for two years, it was during one of his raids on a nearby town they had been reunited. A woman - her father's former lover - had stolen her away from him after she killed that man. That night, her mother had managed to snuggle her out of the facility. Mariah did not know why. Almost every spare moment she possessed after that was spent pondering her mothers decision.

On her eighth birthday, he father had raided the village. As the gunfire erupted into an unholy rainstorm, her mother grabbed her by the arm and ran out of their humble abode.

_It made no sense_, she mused, straining against her mothers grasp, _dad isn't a bad man... there must be bad people in this village too..._

As her mother had rounded a house, Mariah saw her father leading the assault. A stray bullet grazed against her mothers forearm and caused her to release her grasp on her daughter. Taking this opportunity, she sprinted away from her mother.

"TRAITOR!" She screamed as she closed in the gap between her and her father. Looking at her father, he saw him scanning the side of face. Once their eyes met, the connection was made.

"Don't kill that one." He ordered his men, pointing to his daughter. Turning to see her mother for one last time, a sense of satisfaction flowed through her.

_Mom was a bad person... she'll be better off now..._

As another shot tore through her throat, a bubble of blood burst from her mouth, tinting her once pale complexion a deep crimson. It flowed like silk across her skin as she sunk to the dirt road, gasping for air. Weakly, her arm reached for her daughter. As the trembling arm ceased, so too did her life.

A squadron of men passed by her, eliminating another threat. Slowly, her father approached her, looking down into her eyes.

"Thank you, dad." Her voice quivered, giving her father a weak hug. He patted her on the back, acknowledging her thanks. Together, they walked. Through the carnage their relationship began anew.


	2. The Ghosts Are Real

(**so someone commented for more and here it is :) tomorrow I won't be able to update. But I'll be able to give you more on Tuesday - I have work I have to do for once XP but then it's Christmas break and all I'm doing is playing multiplayer for COD Ghosts and writing :) I love reviews so keep em coming :D enjoy! Sorry for it being short!)**

It was a cold December evening. The wisps of cold air brushed across Mariah's face, causing her white cheeks to become pigmented with red hues. Exhaling a breath, she watched as her father gave orders to have civilians executed. Mariah had attended this before. She was offered the chance to end a few lives when her father had been in a teaching mood.

Three men in the past year she had personally executed. Her father stood behind her every time, watching and gauging her reaction. The same thing happened every time. As she would approach the target they would plea for their life. Mariah would step closer and closer until she was point blank. Looking into their eyes, she instilled fear into them and caused their pleas to cease. Cocking the gun, she would press it against their forehead.

"You are a bad man..." She would mutter before pulling the trigger. As the shower of blood sprayed across her face and bare skin, she felt a part of her soul being gnawed away. When she would face her father, a satisfied smirk came alive along with the traces of sadistic glee.

When she was growing up, she heard stories of how her father was different. He could be caring and compassionate back in those days. It always irked her why he had to change so drastically.

Today, though, was different. Down below her father gripped the cold medal of the gun, installing fear into the eyes of his latest hostage. Typical of her father. He always had a knack for scaring people.

Turning from the rooftop, Mariah walked back into the warmth of the compound. Only a few stray soldiers walked these halls. The rest of them were watching the show outside. Mariah had heard her father remark about how this was one of the most important men he had captured yet. What did that matter to her? He was more attentive to some stranger than his own daughter. Rounding a few corners, she entered her fathers office. The same desk she perched on as a child stood closer to the back of the room. The worn oak held so many memories for her. Sitting down at the desk, she recline back. Looking around, the room was very plain. Nothing else was in here except a lamp and different maps. Her father kept no personal effects. She always found that quite strange.

Sighing, she forced herself out of the chair and onto her feet. It was almost noon as Mariah heard a gunshot followed by a roar of cheers.

_ He really must have enjoyed that one... that was the longest he ever kept them alive..._

Drawing in a deep breath, she exited the room. This complex housed hundreds - more likely thousands - of men. On this side, though, only a handful of elite men were assigned living quarters. You could see and feel the division of men here. On this side of the complex, it was very quiet and sterile. Nothing but the best was given to these men. No one ever talked to Mariah. That was not new, but as she would walk around to the more inhabited area of building, she would encounter more friendly faces. People knew who she was and even acknowledged her presence. This side was lively and had an aura of general happiness... something she never senses from the other side.

Every time she would wander onto this side, she would always find herself being watched. It was the downfall of being who she was. These people feared her. If they would endanger or otherwise compromise her, they truly believed that her father would harshly reprimand them.

Following in her fathers footsteps, she managed to bury fear into their souls as they caught glimpses of her. Over the years, Mariah had developed a very coarse, harsh demeanor. She did not notice when this change had first happened. Her father had noticed, that was for certain. The innocent copy cat had grown into a mini version of him. The first time she had actually noticed she had changed was a few years ago.

When she was only 9 and a half years old, her father had been talking to a colleague in the corridor. As she was trying to pass by, he had bumped into her, purposely.

"Watch where you're going, g-"

Before he could even finish his sentence, Mariah had sent her right fist flying into his jaw. As her hand connected with his jaw, her eyes had never wavered from his.

"You little..." The man rubbed the side of his jaw, feeling where his skin had been lacerated and blood now marred his skin.

"Mariah... leave us now. We have things to discuss. You have to work on your punches." Her father commented, looking at the superficially injured man. Mariah simply moved on her way, not even thinking what she had done. It took a few minutes for her to realize what she had done.

The hallways were lined with metal and a burgundy carpet lined the floors. It was a nice, warm walk through these halls. It was a nice feeling knowing she was safe inside these walls. That was the one thing she valued about having to live here - it was impenetrable. No one would dare try to breach this place.

Before she knew it, she had arrived at her room. It was no different from her fathers room. It was simply a mirrored version. A single bed with a black duvet sat nested in the corner across from the door. Opposite of the bed, a small desk with a computer atop it made up the rest of the furniture. Her clothing was stacked under her bed to allow optimal space for her room.

Taking a few steps over to her bed, she sat on the edge of it. Reaching under her mattress, she felt around until her hand touched the corner of a piece of paper. She took it in her fingers and brought it to light.

The sound of running and labored breath caught her attention. Quickly, she grabbed the two knives she kept hidden under her pillow. She stashed one in the side of her boot and kept the other raised in her hand. Her heart beat faster and faster as the foot steps increased their crescendo. Taking a position to the side of the door, she waited. As a figure ran into her room, she took the knife and jammed it through his side.

"AH! Damn it!" The figure fell to his side, already caked in blood from a gunshot wound to his chest. Blood started to soak through his uniform faster. It was one of her fathers men.

"What happened?" She asked, removing the knife as a gout of blood escaped the wound.

"The...gh..."

"Spit it out..." She pressed, slightly alarmed.

"The... Ghosts..."

"...go on..."

"...are real..."

And the explosions begun.


	3. Tis But A Flesh Wound

(**So chapter three! Hope you people are all loving it :D I had no work tonight so all I did was play COD on squads and write. Enjoy! I'd love a few reviews :3 I'm always open to suggestions :D And sorry - something screwed up when I was transferring over it to here from on my iPod so some of the font may be kind of messed up! Sorry! Happy reading :) )**

There were not many things that instilled fear into Mariah. The only two things that filled her with this sensation were her father and the Ghosts. From the stories she had heard from her father and other officers, they were horrible people. They were the people that would raid peaceful factories and towns, causing mass destruction as they went along.

_The Ghosts Are Real_...

It echoed in the recesses of her mind as she heard her home erupt into explosions and the sounds of gunfire. She felt her body tremble and her breath quicken as she stood frozen in place.

_This is impossible_...

After a few moments, Mariah managed to collect herself mentally. Physically, her body was limp. Looking at the lifeless bloody mess that heaped in her room, she noticed the small handgun on it's side. He would not need it she decided as her hands fumbled to take the weapon out of it's holster. Another loud bang and Mariah sprinted over to her desk. Opening the top drawer, she grabbed a small black shoulder bag and ran out of the room.

Mariah had heard the practicing of the shooting ranges almost everyday of her life, but never anything to this scale. She was scared - scared for the unknown. Would she make it out alive? Was her father going to die? Were the Ghosts going to win? As she blasted through an exit at the end of the corridor, she ran into one of her father's men. Quickly, he pushed past her, heading towards the chaos. It sent a chill through her knowing that her life could have ended right then and there. If that had been anyone else, they would have shot her. Clutching the gun tighter, she loaded it, getting ready for the unknown.

To get out alive, she knew she had to make it outside the complex. Once, her father had shown her a layout of the inside and outside of the facility. It was much more complex than she had imagined. It occurred to her that on the maps, air vents lead inside and out of the building. If she could access one of them maybe - just maybe - she could get out of here.

The door closed behind her and she sprinted down the metal stairs. She managed to get down two flights of stairs before she saw another soldier. This time, they looked at her and pointed to a door, nodding. Taking his queue, her body turned and bolted through the threshold. This corridor was quiet. She scanned around, looking at the barren hall. Another explosion caused her to cover her ears as she ducked down. A ringing sensation filled them as she ran down the hall, looking for the air vent.

_Where the hell is it?!_

When she rounded a hallway, she saw a team of four of her father's men sprinting down an adjacent corridor. Against her best interest, she decided to follow them. Even if they noticed her, they did not seem to care.

_Who's the Ghost now_, she remarked inside, narrowing her eyes. It was not as hard to follow them as she thought. All those laps around the building must have really helped.

"RPG'S IN SOUTH SIDE. OVER." A panicked voice screamed over one of the squad members radios. The man who revived the message looked at the other soldiers and grimaced.

"Double time!" The solider commanded as the team suddenly burst through a door. Mariah halted as she heard gunfire erupt from the area of the squad. Twelve shots were fired in succession and suddenly stopped. The door swung back as three unidentified men came through. Two of them had their guns trained on her. Instinctively, Mariah fired her handgun, killing the two men who had their guns posed to strike. As the third one turned to fire a shot, he was too late. A bullet connected with his nose, immediately silencing him.

Mariah covered her hand over her mouth. She did not believe she had just taken the life of three men... so quickly, so easily. It should not be like this. There should be something. Tears, screaming, sadness... by there was only shock. Shock of the lack of emotion she had towards the act she had committed. Mariah quickly ran down the hall - in the opposite direction. As to silence her racing mind, Mariah spotted the air vent. Taking her gun, she fired two shots and knocked it off the wall. She was happy she had a small stature or this would have never worked.

As she dived in, it occurred to her that she did not know exactly where she was going. Taking in a deep breath, she started her long journey through the twisting and confusing maze. It was dark in these vents. Darker than she had expected by far. Taking three lefts, she felt the vent slowly shift down. Sliding down on her stomach, she slammed into the side of the vent. That was certainly going to leave a mark she lamented, starting down the new section.

Suddenly, a barrage of bullets pierced through a section of the vent that was up ahead. Mariah froze, holding her breath. Light shone into the darkened space and allowed her to see that the vent split three was: up, left and down. Slowly, she slithered along, trying not to make any noises. As she moved over the damaged vent piece, she looked down. A group of men were clad in matching uniforms she had never seen before. She could only heard bits and pieces as she inched closer to the exposed rays of light.

"...we got the intel..."

"...is Delta..."

"...not that I heard..."

As Mariah crossed over the damaged vent, it suddenly buckled under her pressure. Slamming down into the ground, she groaned. Her right elbow took most of the weight and she had felt it crack. Looking up through bleary eyes, she saw what she had feared.

Ghosts.

"The Ghosts Are... Real..." She stammered out, trying to back away from the Ghosts. She winced, stopping as she felt pain rocket through her arm. As she tried standing up, one of them grabbed her, looking deep into her eyes.

"Are you okay?" He loosened the grip on her arm. As soon as he did, she tried to run the other way. Before she could, she tripped over a piece of debris.

"Hey!" The man turned her to face him.

Fear coursed through her as her eyes scanned over the mask that adorned his face. Everything in her mind turned to mush and crumbled as her eyes need wavered from his. Something primitive inside her came out that she never though she would say.

"DAD!" She screamed, shutting her eyes and trying to free herself from his grasp. Surprisingly, she felt her face become moist as tears rolled down her cheek. The man pulled her to her feet and looked at one of his colleagues.

The sound of clanking metal bounced around by Mariah and caught the attention of the men.

"SMOKE GRENADE!" The man threw Mariah behind him as the smoke started to pour out around them. Mariah coughed as she choked on the smoke. It burned her lungs and she labored to breath. In seconds, she could not see anything beyond a few inches.

"Fire!" She heard men from across the hall order. As they followed the command, a barrage of bullets rained down on the Ghosts. They fired back, taking cover behind fallen debris. Mariah was not so lucky.

A bullet came towards her and impaled her right lung. With wide eyes, Mariah collapsed to the ground, in shock. Trying to breathe just became increasingly harder than it already was. Coughing, she felt blood rise up through her throat and bubble out of her mouth. Her hand meekly brushed over the gunshot.

_I'm going to die... I'm going to die..._

Mariah's vision started to blur as more and more blood poured out of the wound. As if to add insult to injury, the last thing Mariah saw was the face of a Ghost. His face was painted in black and white, though. He was different. Scooping her up, he looked into her eyes, reassuringly.

"You're going to be alright... we're here to..."

Then everything was silenced and darkened.


	4. Paradise

_**(I AM SO SOREY I HAVEN'T POSTED IN A FEW DAYS! The last week of school was crazy busy and shopping was NUTS! I was at a NHL game last night so I had no time to write after school. I am so sorry for the wait! Oh I keep forgetting to say the story takes place after the campsign mode on COD: Ghosts ends... so you can kinda see how that's gonna effect things! Oh yeah I have over 200 reads and I love you all :D you're amazing for reading my story :3 I'll post another chapter ASAP! Thanks for being such loyal readers :3 )**_

_ It was dark, but Mariah heard loud explosions as the painted figure carried her away. It was hard to tell what was going on. For a few minutes, she had lost total consciousness and only the sweet sound of silence could be heard. Once she finally came to, it was hell. The sounds of explosions were accentuated by rounds of gunfire. She was too disoriented and had lost too much blood to accurately recall what happened. Small fragments seemed to stand out in her mind. From being carried in the hall, she remembered hearing shouting. As muffled as it was, she remembered hearing 'girl' and 'wounded'. _

_ The next memory was the only thing she could coherently remember._

_ "Who's she?" _

_ "She was in the Fed's building when we attacked. GSW to the chest."_

_ "What the hell was she even doing in there? _

_ "I don't know... but I want to find out." _

_ After what seemed like an eternity, she remembered feeling herself sink down into a chair. Mustering all the strength she had left, she managed to open her eyes. While looking up, she saw the same man who had carried her bucking her into a seat. She tried to speak, but a spurt of blood came out of her mouth instead. The man wiped the blood away from her mouth with his gloved hand._

_ "Save your strength..." He said, laying his hand on her shoulder. _

_ "COME ON! LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!" One of the men's voices boomed. In her field of view, she merely saw shadows. Shadows that moved at an unbelievable speed... just like Ghosts... Everything was starting to disorient once again. She heard the sound of a helicopter take off with faint whispers here and there as her hearing slowly faded out once more. _

Mariah felt pain coursing through her battered body. Never in her life had she ever experienced this severity of pain, physically. Emotionally... that was quite another story. Taking a labored breath, her ears finally started to register sounds once again. There was a very faint humming sound that sent a calming sensation over Mariah. No gunfire or explosions were being heard... maybe she was still at home. Maybe her father's men had rescued her. Maybe he did care.

With a tremendous amount of effort, Mariah forced her eyes open. A beam of light shone through her field of view. Immediately, she shut her eyes from its intensity. After a few seconds, the blinding light subsided and she opened her eyes further.

Everything in her view was hazy. It made her head spin. As she blinked, the finer details started to develop. The room was painted with a light blue hue. It was a standard size room, for what her eyes could view. From the ceiling, fluorescent lights gently flickered. Directly across from the bed she way lying in, a medium sized window allowed her to view the outside world, unhindered. The dark sky signaled a late evening for Mariah. It was accentuated by a full moon. It sent a small tremor through her. Looking to her left, she saw an IV needle hooked into her wrist. Her eyes followed it along, tracing it's origins to an IV drip. Upon further inspection, she noticed a monitor at the side of her bed. The rhythmic beeping of the device caused her to slightly relax. She was alive. Somehow, she had survived that great ordeal.

As she tried to sit up, she noticed her right arm would not move. Upon further inspection, her eyes laid upon a white, plaster cast encasing almost her whole arm. Slowly, she tried moving the cumbersome thing, but a sharp pain in her elbow accompanied each movement.

That must have been quite the fall, she mused, still looking over the cast. Taking in a deep breath, Mariah tried to sit up. Almost as soon as she did, she regretted it. Slumping back down into the bed, Mariah used her good arm to feel at the tender spot. On the right side of her chest, she could feel the tenderness through the bandages. Wow, that must have really been bad luck. Mariah knew she should have been dead. Her father's men usually used a standard SA-805. That type of weapon should have fatally impaled the girl. It must have been a ricochet.

Once more, Mariah took in a breath and tried to sit up. It was excruciatingly painful. Gritting her teeth, she managed this feat. Sitting up in the bed, she did not feel as helpless. Now that she had a better view of the room, it was not as big as she once thought. It must have been half the size of her room at home... was she still at home? This place did not look familiar in the slightest to her. She never did spend time in the infirmary, though. The only time she could vacantly recall going for medical attention was after she had copied her fathers scars. It was not even him who took her to get it patched up - it was one of his men.

Mariah reached up to scratch an itch under her nose. As she did, she noticed a small tube leading into her nostrils. The newly noticed device started to bug her. Being the ever stoic one she was, she pulled it out and took a breath of real air. A faint pain was felt with each breath. She pulled the oxygen tube over her head and placed it to the side. Mariah was so use to doing things on her own - she did not want to stop now. Crossing her legs, she took in another deep breath, forcing herself to take the pain.

"I'm glad to see you're awake." A smooth voice cooed from the doorway. Mariah turned her head towards the sound. A tall man clad in a white coat strode toward her, smiling. His short blonde hair matched his baby blue eyes. Mariah's eyes widened as he made his way to the side of her bed, looking over her vitals. He took out a tiny flashlight, and reached out toward her face. Instinctively, Mariah pushed his hand away, knocking the light onto the floor.

"Don't touch me."

"I need to check your pupils," the doctor picked up the light off of the ground. Kneeling next to the bed, he took her hand into his, "you're safe here."

"Are you... a Ghost..." Mariah asked, stone faced. His eyes met hers, trying to see what she was hiding inside.

"No..."

"Okay..." Mariah nodded, letting out a small sigh of relief. The doctor shone the light into both of her eyes and observed them. A few seconds later, he smiled, nodding.

"Well, you certainly look better. It's been just over a week since you were last conscious."

"That's impossible!" The wide eyed Mariah looked incredulously at the man, watching him grab a syringe from a nearby table. How could have a week gone by like that? The doctor turned toward Mariah, tapping the side of a syringe.

"You got hurt pretty badly."

"What happened?"

The doctor stopped the injection he was about to give her and placed it on the small table next to the monitor. He grabbed a nearby chair and flipped it around, sitting down while resting his arms on the top of the chair. His once happy face turned to something more dark and dismal.

"The men who found you told me you fell through a ceiling vent and into the middle of a fire fight. One of the men pushed you out of the way but a bullet ricocheted off of something and hit your right lung. They brought you back here and you had immediate surgery. For a while, I wasn't sure if you were going to make it."

"I'm not weak," Mariah stated, defiantly, "I'm strong - just like my father."

"I know you're not weak," the doctor's face softened, "I don't know many people who could have survived the ordeal you went through."

"I'm not like other people." Mariah's face stared blankly into the mans eyes, showing no emotion. The last thing she wanted to happen was for her to have a breakdown.

"I forgot to ask. What's your name?"

"Mariah."

"Mariah," the doctor smiled, picking the syringe back into his fingers, "that's a pretty name."

"My mother picked it."

"She picked well.

"She's dead..." Mariah glared at him, sending a bolt of hatred towards him. He raised his eye brow, letting the comment slip by.

"I'm going to give you something for the pain. Please lay down, Mariah."

Mariah grudgingly complied, laying back down into her original position. The doctor sent the contents of the syringe into her IV line. Within minutes, Mariah felt herself getting woozy. It felt good not being able to feel any pain. The doctor disposed of the syringe and leaned over her. From the end of the bed, he pulled a thin sheet over her.

"Get some rest. I'll be around." With that, Mariah felt herself slowly falling back into the depths of her thoughts. That last thing she remembered hearing stood out in her mind and haunted her painless sleep.

_"She asked if I was a Ghost... she wants you."_


	5. My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark

** (I would have posted sooner guys but I wrote this chapter and hated it so I re-wrote it! I would have updated last night but I was babysitting till past midnight - lots of time to write - and I crashed. Was gonna update earlier today but I got dragged shopping... AND TOMORROW'S CHRISTMAS REALLY?! Twas' the night before Christmas and all ****you could here was COD: Squads in the basement and Aggressive Dubstep near. ;p enjoy! Might post chap 6 tonight but I have to go to Church tonight *groans* ENJOY:D lovin the reviews and comments BRW's! pretty sure this chapter makes sense - it did at midnight so... xD)**

For the next three days, Mariah repeated a cycle of a painless slumber accompanied by an unrelenting reality that stood by her bedside, waiting. Waiting like a wild beast trying to devour it's prey.

_"She asked if I was a Ghost..."_

That was a perfectly valid question. Mariah had been in a constant state of fluctuating dread. If she had been taken by the Ghosts, there was going to be hell if they found out who she was. Mariah knew she had to hide that from them. These people would want more information. They seemed nice enough, but they probably had ulterior motives . The man with the painted face seemed to show genuine concern for her. That made her uneasy. Why was he so concerned? Why would he risk his own life for her? What would he do if he found out who she was?

_"...she wants you."_

He is a Ghost. He must have wanted to check on Mariah to see if she was fine. She did not want anyone looking after her like that. If her own father would not, why should he? What gave him the authority to be so protective of her? Questions upon questions continued to stack up. Sometimes, she did not know which was worse - the conscious times or the unconscious ones.

The third day brought on a change for Mariah. She hated being cooped up in the confined room. The only contact she had with people was with the doctor. She never did find out his name. It was not like she cared for it. Even him taking care of her wounds felt alien to Mariah. She felt she was old enough to help herself. The regular injections of pain medicine seemed to help dispel her uneasiness towards help. Mariah knew she could have gritted her teeth through the pain and eventually get through it, but the doctor kept her heavily medicated and she could not say no when she was in such an altered state.

The morning she woke up that third day, she was greeted by two men. They were both clad in camo pants and black tee shirts. Their boots paced around the room, obviously waiting for her to wake up. Mariah sat up from the bed and continued to look them over, not noticing she had woken up. They were both caucasian. It seemed as though the bald man was in charge - the way he carried himself showed it. The man with short brown hair was his lesser. He looked familiar.

"You're the one that saved me."

The two men turned around and looked at her. The bald man looked towards the younger one and nodded his head. In turn, the younger one moved towards the side of her bed.

"Yeah, that was me. How are you feeling?"

"Bored as hell. I want out of this place." Mariah swung her legs over the side of the bed, watching her feet dangle. She forgot that she was put in a white gown when she was taken to repair her injuries.

"The doctor has cleared you to leave the infirmary. You'll have to report back to him every day so he can make sure you're healing."

"What's your name?" Mariah looked up at the brown haired man, her eyes narrowing.

"David, but my friends call me 'Hesh'," He smiled, his face warming up, "and your name's Mariah, right?"

"Yeah," she looked away from his gaze, looking over the older man in the back, "who are you?"

"The name's Thomas. 'Merrick' to most." He nodded, curtly.

"So, what are you going to do with me?" Mariah slipped off the bed and looked up at Hesh. His eyes were swimming in pools of curiosity mixed with suspicion as he looked down at her.

"Well, we can't just kick you out. I rescued you so I'll take care of you while you stay here. Once you heal up fully, we'll go from there. Sound good, kid?"

"Don't call me kid," she stopped on his foot, "my name's Mariah. MARIAH." She emphasized, crossing her arms over her chest, with an added difficulty of the cast. Merrick turned away, trying to hide the grin that started to spread across his lips. Once he composed himself, he looked back over at the now slightly pained Hesh and the growling Mariah.

"Mariah, if you need anything just ask Hesh. If you can't find him, someone from my team will assist you. Now, Hesh is going to show you to your room as I have to go." Merrick gave a nod as he left. Mariah looked back up at Hesh, scowling.

"Sorry, it's a force of habit - violence..." She shook her head, walking over to the window. The winter sun - though not as intense as the summer sun - felt nice on her skin.

"It's okay. I can tell you've been through a lot," Hesh approached her, "if you ever need to talk, I'm here."

"So where am I sleeping?"Mariah changed the subject as she walked towards the door. She did not need anyone. Hesh did not really care. Why should he? She was just one kid. Mariah had solidified the notion that this was merely an act as he followed her out the door.

"It's a bit of a walk."

"I'll manage."

The duo walked down many a corridor as the continued their trek. Mariah took careful note of the way she was going. If she ever needed to get out in a hurry, she knew she would make it. This man Hesh mystified her. He kept trying to engage in conversation with her. Why? Why was he doing this? He agreed to take care of her. She was not that young.. was she? During her realization, Mariah had not remembered a single birthday she ever had. How old was she truly?

"... so don't worry about Merrick. He might seem cold but that's just how he is," Hesh looked down at her, raising his eye brow, "hey, you alright?"

"Yeah," she blinked, "just a lot of stuff on my mind."

"You're what... 12? What could you have on your mind... besides the fact you almost died..."

"Getting shot didn't phase me. It's the other part that does..."

"Woah, hold the hell up," Hesh stopped walking and turned Mariah to face him, "you almost died. You should be somewhat rattled."

"I didn't die. I'm fine." Mariah continued to walk down the hallway, but Hesh grabbed her arm.

"Mariah, you need to talk this out."

"Later. Now where's my room?"

Hesh let her go and continued down the corridor with her. After about ten minuets of walking, they came to a new area of the complex. It poured into a large room with a high ceiling. An elongated couch filled the center of the room. Being in the Christmas spirt, a medium sized tree stood to the side, only topped by a star. Mariah had a feeling of dread fill her. Every year at Christmas time, she would get her father a gift; but every year he would get her nothing in return. Not even a 'thank you' would be given to Mariah.

Hesh rounded down another hallway that split into two near the end. Hesh turned into a door way that was open and stopped. Mariah saw two beds adjacent from each other... two...?

"You'll be rooming with me. Don't worry, I won't creep on you or anything," Hesh walked over to the empty bed and opened the drawer in the table that stood next to it. He pulled out a bundle of clothes and her black bag, "they're the smallest we could find. This also belongs to you." Hesh handed the objects to Mariah. Her hands tightly grasped them, not wanting to let go of her precious bag and contents.

"Thanks."

"I'll be out in the court yard. Me and the guys are playing hockey. When you're done settling in, come watch if you want." Hesh left the room, closing the door behind him. Mariah immediately opened her bag, running over the seams inside. The bag had not been damaged. Digging around, her hands grasped the picture she had originally had in her pocket. It seemed to be unopened... seemed being the keyword.

Mariah put the picture back into her bag and tossed it onto her bed. Sinking down into it, Mariah wondered who use to sleep here. Maybe they had brought it in special for her. Why bother though? Sighing, she took the clothes into her hands. She was grateful she could get out of the dreaded hospital gown. As she shed the gown unceremonious onto the floor, she caught her reflection on the mirror that hung off the back of the door. Her chest was bandaged up with copious amount of gaze. The skin that wasn't covered, her fingers traced over the black bed blue bruise that was left in the bullets wake. She slipped on the plain black tee shirt, trying to finagle it over her head with her left arm. It was cumbersome, but she did manage the task after a few minuets. It was at lest three sizes too big. The sweats they had given her swallowed up her lower half in a sea of fabric. Once she was dressed, she looked herself over in the mirror. The face that stared back seemed not to be her own. Her face looked so vacant and hallow. The last time she had checked, she had not looked this condescending. She was more like her father than she thought. The eyes, the hair, the face... why did she have to turn into him?

Closing her eyes, Mariah could see him in her minds eye. The scar stood out so prominently, she could almost run her fingers across it. The way his eyes looked at you were meant to instill fear into you... the same thing Mariah had done to others. Did she truly not want to be like her father, though? If she had wanted to stop, could she have not prevented it? Mariah had fallen into the trap her father had inadvertently laid out. She hated the Ghosts as much as he did. Fear was also felt towards them - fear of being detected and 'dealt' with. If she really wanted to make her father proud, she could eliminate them. One by one they would fall and the Federation could dominate... but did she really want to? Was her father's approval that much to her? It dawned on Mariah that she had always sought out his praise - never his love. A part of her knew that his love was unattainable... but should she not try? Maybe that was the reason she turned out like him. The bond they shared was violence and loathing... not caring, compassion or love.

Standing up, Mariah walked out of the room and started her journey to face her next fear - the rest of the Ghosts.


	6. Mockingbird

**_(sorry about the wait! Technical difficulties all this week XP Santa brought me an Achery Set WOOOOO! And OMG OVER 500 READS?! ASDFGHJKL next chapter is gonna be more funnier ^_^ and I hope you like :D ENJOOOOY :D )_**

Mariah walked down the warm corridor and into the main room. The couch looked very inviting to her. She had not anticipated how drained she would be from her injuries. Walking towards the massive window, she looked down onto the courtyard. Immediately, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. These were the men her father loathed to no end. She counted four of them. Merrick was missing. He did say he had stuff to do. Hesh was in the game, though. She watched as he shot the ball into the net but missed. Mariah let out a small laugh, smirking. If she could, she would love to join in. Back home, the soldiers would let her join in from time to time. Always, she would be placed in net. For how short she was, she could block almost any shot that was given to her. As much as she would have like to join in, the broken arm and wounded lung strongly protested against any strenuous physical activity.  
As Mariah turned around, she found herself looking up into the scrutinizing eyes of Merrick. Instinctively, she glared, sending her usual cold and curt aura around herself.  
_ Should I be doing that? She though, as she continued to look into the eyes of the old solider. If I want to keep my identity secret, I'll have to act like a... child... maybe then I can fool them. Just act my age..._  
"Yes?" Mariah asked, forcibly relaxing her face. This was going to be harder than she though. Her eyes trailed down onto the floor. It would take more time to shake the demeanor she was use to giving off to them.  
"Just wanted to see how you were doing," he stepped over to the window and observed his team, "Hesh did some crazy shit to make sure you stayed alive. Be thankful - he was the one who found you in the rubble when you got shot."  
"I am," Mariah took a breath, trying to soften and warm her demeanor, "I still don't know why he cares so much."  
"We all do. I'm still wondering why you were there in the first place..." Merrick turned to face Mariah, crossing his arms over his chest. Mariah knew he wanted an answer, but what was she supposed to say? 'Rorke is my dad and I was trying to get away from you.' Yeah, that would go over very well here. Mariah thought of the oldest trick in the book. Maybe being young would give her the upper hand here...  
"I don't want to talk about it," tears started to stream down Mariah's face and drop onto the floor, "please..."  
"You must have seen some scary shit that no one your age should ever see. I get it," Merrick placed his hand on her shoulder, "I do need to know why you were there, though. Tell me when you're more composed." With that Merrick left Mariah to her tears. As soon as he was out of sight, a satisfied smirk spread across her lips as she ceased her tears. That was too easy. Maybe being a child was good. Mariah had grown up too quickly. It was something she never truly acknowledged. Growing up was hard. She had no other kids to spend time with. She grew up surrounded by soldiers. It was easy enough to turn into one. That was who Mariah would always be, she reminded herself. Being here with people who seemed to care about her wellbeing would never change her.  
Mariah walked out of the room, trying to keep her childlike stance out in the open. These men needed to see she was normal... well, what she thought was normal. After about twenty minutes of wandering around, Mariah managed to find the exit to the courtyard. The Ghosts were still at it. Hesh was laughing as Mariah approached the lively game. One of the guys managed to get around Hesh and score on the goalie. When he turned around, he saw the partially smiling Mariah.  
"Hey!" Hesh walked over, placing his stick over his shoulder.  
"So I see you're getting your ass handed to you..." Mariah let out a laugh.  
_ That sounded way too forced. Come on, you can do this._  
"No, I let him score."  
"I agree with the girl," one of the men approached her and ruffled up her hair, "it's nice to see you're finally out and about."  
_ I'm going to cut his fingers off if he does that again._  
"So, who's who?" Mariah watched as three other men came to join the gathering.  
"I'm Keegan." He took his hand off of her hair and looked over to the other guys.  
"Kick." The amber eyed man gave a nod.  
"Neptune." The man next to him flashed a smile.  
"Mariah," she took a breath, trying to keep her false composure, "so what's the score?"  
"Kick and Keegan are winning," Neptune piped in, glaring at Hesh.  
"Hey, it's not my fault you can't score."  
All the guys let out a laugh, shaking their heads. Mariah joined in, trying to keep up her facade. After a few minutes of laughter, Kick looked over at Mariah.  
"You need to loosen up." he walked over to her and knelt so they were face to face.  
"Excuse me?" Mariah felt her eyes starting to sharpen.  
Without warning, Kick picked her up fireman style and started to run around with her. Mariah started to kick and scream as he ran around the rink.  
"Put me down!"  
"I can't hear you!" Mariah looked around and saw the rest of the guys laughing. She let out a boisterous laugh, accentuated by a grand smile.  
_ That's it… play along. Relax and go with this…you can do this…_  
"KICK IM GONNA KICK YOUR ASS!" Mariah laughed, noticing the warmer tinge in her voice. It was working!  
"I'd like to see you try!" He spun her around before placing her back onto the ground.  
Mariah flopped down onto the frozen ground as she was placed down. It felt nice. Grabbing a fistful of snow in her left hand, she threw it towards Kick and nailed him in his mouth. Mariah ran over to Hesh, laughing.  
"Protect me, Hesh!" She smirked and continued to laugh.  
_ I hate my laugh. It's so annoying._  
The day seemed to go by quicker than Mariah expected. It was weird. She felt herself warming up to them. Was that even the right word? No, she felt herself…adapting. Her upbringing was helping her. Being a soldier was who she was. What she would always be.. Maybe her father had planned that all along. Maybe he wanted her to turn out like him. Maybe he wanted to keep his legacy going. If needed, she would comply but otherwise… did she really want to have to kill people? Self-defense was one thing along with being forced. Having to do it on a daily schedule was an entirely different manner. The life of a soldier was something she would need to live with once she got back home. For now, she was a child – a broken, fragile child. It was an advantage, in her mind. This allowed her to interact more 'genuinely' with them. She knew not to actually get close to them. That would be a disaster. If she managed to keep up what she was doing, it would aid her in three things: getting information on her father, keeping her identity a secret and getting home.  
For dinner that evening, Hesh had insisted she eat with them. It was a simple meal - chicken and potatoes. Mariah could not help but feel a strange sensation in her heart. Never had she remembered a time her and her own father had shared a meal together. Now, here were these men gladly inviting her to sup with them. They had barley known her for a day. How could they be so inviting? It felt strange yet slightly satisfying to Mariah. She just imagined her father joining them. It was surprisingly easy to imagine. He was almost meant to be here. Why was that? It was ludicrous. Was she getting homesick? Impossible… right? Mariah felt eyes starting to sting.  
"Excuse me" she stood up, giving a nod. Hastily, she made her way to her quarters. Once she had closed the door, she sunk down on the floor, covering her face.  
_What the hell are you doing?! Snap out of your little fantasy and do your job. You aren't here to live out some dream you've wanted. No, you are here to get home as soon as you can. You're turning soft. What would father say? He probably wouldn't care if these men killed you off... but what if he did care? What if he is waiting for you when you get home? Mariah, you are made in his image. Your father would never let himself be compromised like this._  
"Mariah?" She heard Hesh call from the other side of the door.  
_ Stiffen that upper lip up. Straighten up soldier. Quit crying. _  
Taking a breath, Mariah kept her composure. She opened the door and smiled, slightly.  
"Yeah?" She looked up into his eyes. He looked concerned.  
" You just ran off so I wanted to see what was up." He entered his room. Mariah saw a dog follow close by him. The dog looked over at Mariah and stopped at her feet.  
"I'm fine. Just, a bit stressed as all."  
"I could imagine," Hesh sat down on his bed. Looking over the clock, he shook his head, "I can't believe it's already 10:13. We really should have dinner earlier."  
"It doesn't matter to me," she sat down next to the dog, hesitantly, running her fingers through its fur, "what's his name?"  
"Riley."  
"You're a nice dog. Much nicer than the ones I've met..." Mariah's face snapped back into her normal stance. She usually hated dogs. When she was ten, one of the dogs had been improperly trained. It had tried to attack her but someone shot it. Mariah stayed away from any animal she came close to. This dog – Riley – seemed so different.  
Riley licked Mariah's hand then jumped onto Hesh's bed. Mariah could tell they had a strong bond. Suddenly, Mariah realized she was exhausted. Finally getting out of that infirmary had exhausted her with all she had done today. Those pain meds really helped. Mariah sat down onto her own bed, noticing a small pill bottle on the side. Her hands grasped it and read the label:  
Take two before bed and two in the morning.  
Mariah noticed it was not a twist cap. The doctor thought ahead at least. Her left hand managed to pop the top off. Carefully, she dumped two pills on the dresser and placed the bottle down. It was awkward using her left hand for everything. Her fingers managed to grasp the tiny pills and she swallowed them whole.  
"You don't need water or anything?" Hesh observed her, petting Riley.  
"I'm not a child..." She tried to get under her covers, but they kept bunching up. Mariah let out a disgruntled groan and furrowed her brow.  
"Here, let me help." Hesh walked over to her, pulling the covers over her.  
"Thanks." She got as comfy as she could in the foreign bed.  
Hesh smiled and opened the door. Riley jumped from his bed to hers, lying down next to her side. Mariah watched as he turned the lights off, smiling.  
"Night Mariah." With that he shut the door.  
_ That was weird... dad never tucked me in like that. It doesn't matter. What matters is you made it through the day. You can keep this up. You'll be home... soon..._


	7. Glory and Gore

**_(heeeey everyone! It's. freaking New Year's Eve :D sorry for the late update. i scrapped what I had originally wrote - something more light hearted - but it didn't fit. My friend noticed when thrip these comments I turn into an 'illeterit drunk foreign' apprently ;p she's not wrong XD anyhow I realized I'm a dumb dumb and I finally realized how to PROPERLY update the story. So now spelling is fixed in past chapters. Going to another hockey game tonight so I'll post as soon as I can! Shout out to all the people who have reviewed me - every time I see one I freak out! Keep em coming! BTW's OVER 700 read?! OMG :D I love you all! if I get to 1,000 imma faint! Anyhow, ENJOY :D)_**

Mariah woke up to the morning sun shining onto her face. As she sat up, she blinked. It was strange. All the times she had woken up at home, her room was dark. The warm sun felt nice across her skin. She sat up, looking over to the empty bed. Mariah slid out of the bed, also noting that Riley was gone. It was so quiet. That was something that was not foreign to her at all. Her feet touched the cool floor and she stood up. Looking over at the clock it read 7:20. It felt later than that. She did go to bed fairly early, though. Yesterday had taken quite a toll on her. It felt very alien to Mariah – why were they keeping her here. Were they onto her? When she had checked her bag, the contents seemed untouched. Maybe they did care about her wellbeing… no that could not be it. Mariah was naturally suspicious. Opening the drawer, she saw another set of clothes had been left for her. This time, they seemed to be smaller. Mariah could care less. As long as she had something to wear, she was fine. Changing into another set of clothes pained her side. Her arm could take the pain. It was starting to get easier. When she had finally finished changing, she walked over to the window. Down below, she could see the buildings going on for what seemed forever. It reminded her of home. That was a sight that soothed her soul.

Part of her kept wondering where she was. Yet another part never wanted to find out. If she knew, it would not change the fact she was not home. Knowing where she was would solidify the notion she was far into enemy territory where they thought they were safe. Ignorance was bliss in this case. She had to be in the America's, though. Her father had told her about this place when she was younger. Growing up, she was usually living somewhere in Caracas, Venezuela. Her father had once explained to her why, but those words had been lost long ago. Now, the only words that stood out in her mind from him were words she did not want to hear.

"Just like dad."

Many people had remarked to her over the years just that. It should not have bothered her. Up to now, it did not. It was starting to chafe against her since her injury. It had given her much time to contemplate what she had done and who she had been over the years. Mariah tried to see what could have been different over the years. If her father had been the person he once was. Once again, she was finding herself wondering about what had happened to him. Why were Ghosts the enemy? Mariah tried to think back to when she had first been told about them. They were 'bad men'. Why were they bad? Her father had given no rhyme, nor reason. They were just bad. Her father had a reason to call them bad… did he not? If there was a war involving them… they had to have done something.

Mariah needed to stop thinking about this. They were the enemy. There was no evidence to dispute that. For now, she would keep treating them like that – the enemy.

"I see you're awake."

Mariah turned to see Hesh standing in the doorway. He looked well rested. Riley was not in sight.

"Yeah." She turned towards him, flashing a small smile.

"Hungry?"

"Not really…"

"Hesh," Merrick burst into the room, "mission briefing in ten minutes."

"Yes, sir." He left the room, his eyes narrowing at Mariah.

"Do you know where you're going?" Mariah looked up at Hesh as innocently as she could.

"I think somewhere in the Amazon."

_The Amazon_? Dad was saying he was spending Christmas there… I wonder what plan they are devising…

"Try not to get hurt." Mariah looked up into his eyes.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine."

Mariah did not know what to say after that. She stood there, eyes locked into Hesh's. This mission hopefully would not reveal anything about her to them. How could it though? She was just getting paranoid, once again. Nothing was going to happen. Maybe by the time they got back, she would be healed enough to leave. That would be a miracle. Miracles existed right? She had never been a religious person and she was not ever going to start. It was a huge load in her opinion… or was that her father's opinion? It did not matter at this point. Nothing really mattered.

"Well I have to go to the mission briefing." He left with that and Mariah stood there, watching as he left. She was starting to get irked by their constant watching over her. It was obvious. She was not under strict guard, but she saw the men keeping a close eye on her. Hesh tried to talk to her as much as he could. The conversations were usually the same. How are you doing? How are you feeling? It never changed. Mariah knew he was trying to be sensitive towards her. All he knew about her was she was found somewhere that no child should ever be. Mariah still did not know what to tell Merrick. He was waiting for an answer. All he saw was an apparently scared child. The only thing Mariah was scared of at this point was being discovered. It haunted her mind of what they would do to her. She had heard – and seen – what her father had done to men who were against them. What were these men capable of? Merrick was their commanding officer. He would deal with her if need be… but how? Ever since she had been here, she had not seen them act in any way that would be deemed as hostile. Maybe she would find out during their mission. One of them – she had not figured out who – would have to stay back as mission control. They would not just leave her unattended while they went off on a mission. Even she would have questioned that. A small part of her hoped she would be allowed to sit in mission control and follow along. Another part of her wanted to try to find a way out while they were away. Yet, there was also a part of her that wanted to stay. Even after her short while here, she felt welcomed. It was something that should not have affected her in the slightest, but it was starting to.

Mariah reclined back onto her bed, not wanting to leave the isolation of her room. She was relieved that they were going on a mission. It would be ample time to sit and think of what to say. Merrick was the only thing that kept gnawing at her. There was something about him that Mariah could not put her finger on. Something was behind his eyes that made Mariah contemplate his motives. He seemed to care about her but at the same time he was very cold with her. He reminded Mariah off her father, oddly enough. Mariah did not know exactly what it was with Merrick, but she did not trust him. It was not like she trusted anyone else here. No, it was something more than that. There was something behind his old war filled eyes that Mariah could not sense. This off put her to a new degree. Usually she was the one doing this to people.

Mariah furrowed her brow as she thought back to the events that had brought her to this foreign territory. Thinking back to it, where had the knife she had stored in her boot gone? She had it when she fell. The gun had stayed in the vent... but where was the knife?

Oh crap... my initials were on that knife... that's the one I took from dad's office all those years ago. If Merrick has that I'm screwed. I need to get it back.

Mariah sat up quickly in her bed. If she was not hyped on pain medication, that would have hurt. The only thing that was on her mind now was getting that knife back. She could not just break into his room... could she? Wait, this could work in her favour. While they were on their mission, she could steal the evidence.

"Mariah."

"Hun?" She spun around towards the door, not noticing Hesh had opened it.

"Merrick wants to talk to you. It's urgent."

Shit shit shit shit shit shit...

"...okay..." She replied, as meek as she could.

Mariah got out of bed and walked over to Hesh. Something had changed about his demeanor. It was because of the briefing, in her opinion. What else could have happened? Mariah did not know the way he was taking her. Were they not going to Merrick's room? Hesh turned down the second corridor. Mariah had never gone down here yet. It was practically identical to the other. There was one door on the left. Hesh approached it and opened it. He waved Mariah in. She stopped once she saw the rest of the Ghosts looking at her.

"Why am I here? I thought you were doing a mission briefing..." She looked around the room. It was fascinating. In the center, a large computer table was displaying information about the current region they were going into. Around the room, papers were strewn about. Towards the back of the room, a picture caught her eye. It was a picture of her father. She found herself absentmindedly running her hand across the length of the scar.

"That's precisely why you are here." Merrick motioned for her to approach him. She cautiously made her way over, never wavering her eyes from his. He was sizing her up. It was not going to work.

"I don't understand," she looked around the room, trying to look overwhelmed (it was not far from the truth), "how can I help?"

"When we found you in the Federation base, did you hear anything they were saying? Maybe a passing comment about The Amazon?

"Well," Mariah paused, unsure of what to say, "I don't remember..."

"Think hard, this is important." He gripped her shoulders slightly, causing her to look up into his eyes.

_What do I say?! I know father is going to be there for Christmas. __I can__'t tell them that though. Think Mariah! What have you heard about The Amazon... well... actually..._

"I remember one man saying something..."

"And...?"

"They said that the transformation was moving along."

Mariah watched as they all went silent. They all knew something that she did not. From the corner of her eye, she saw Hesh become enraged. He took a knife he had strapped to the side of his boot and threw it at the picture of her father. Mariah stopped herself from lashing out at him. It was still her father he wanted to harm.

"Calm down Hesh." Merrick warned, looking over at the picture. The knife had landed on his scar.

"Who's he?" Mariah asked, putting a blank expression on her face.

"A bad man." Keegan replied.

_I've heard that before. _

"Why is he a bad man?" Mariah walked over to the picture. It was above her head but still in her field of view. This was her chance to find out who he was from them.

"That is for another time Mariah," Merrick walked over to her and pried the knife away from the wall. She saw him glance over at the knife and then her, "thank you for your help. There is things I need to discuss with my team before the mission."

Mariah took the hint and left the room. Tomorrow was going to be an interesting day.


	8. Battle Born Pt 1

**_(hey eyeryone :) sorry I haven't posted since last year ;D this chaper was SUPPOSED TO be more action but I got carried away with dialogue. I'm writing more as I post this so I'm hoping aginst hope i'll be able to post again tonight. Mariah is gonna go through something and I'm going sdfghjkl aww poor Mariah! and just a little side note to person 'nina' who has given me a couple of reviews - yeah you were right about the transformation thing... poor logan D: oh btw's I bought camo clothes this weekend XD I'm getting obsessed... might be buying some ghosts earring and necklace set too XD happy reading :D )_**

The sun had not yet risen, but Mariah and the Ghosts had. Her dark brown eyes intently watched Hesh as he dressed for the mission. The rest of the Ghosts were getting ready in their rooms, obviously. It intrigued Mariah to see how different their uniform styles were. All the uniforms she had ever laid eyes upon were adorned with the circular star flag pattern on the upper arm. It was only a matter of time before her father would want her to dawn the uniform to support his cause. During her younger years, she once would have been honored. She always loved watching the men and women in the white camouflage hiding in the snow. At one time, she always thought they were playing a massive game of hide and seek. More than anything she had wanted to join them but could not. Once the older Mariah had found out their true purpose, she no longer wanted to be like them. That harsh reality came crashing down on her when she saw a woman – resembling her mother – shoot a person a few hundred feet away. Mariah had never found out why she had shot them, but she never wanted to have to decide whether or not to make that call.

Mariah watched Hesh pull a dark coloured tunic over his head, matching his dark pants and combat boots. Stoically, she sat in silence as he grabbed two small metal containers stashed within his drawer. He opened one and dabbed two of his fingers into its contents. They came out blackened. Swiftly, he spread it across his face.

"Why do you do it?" she asked, standing up and walking over to him, "All of the others wear masks."

"It's a personal choice."

Mariah watched as the once soft Caucasian face turned into something hard and focused. As Hesh adorned his face with the paint, the Ghost came out. It was not long before flecks of white were added to complete his face. Once he was done, he put the paint onto his side table and looked down at her. Immediately, she looked away. The part of her that was still loyal to her father – wait… should she not be fully loyal to her father? He was her father - that should be reason enough. Yet, there was a part that was starting to change loyalties. These men – Hesh especially – had all treated her how she had wanted to be treated. It was something that was so alien but ultimately life changing for Mariah. It was causing her to waiver from her allegiance to her father. That was something that she had never expected to happen. Then again, being here was something she never expected to happen.

Mariah felt Hesh place a hand on her shoulder. She did not want to look up. That face was causing her too much pain. The obedient daughter she thought she was should immediately want to harm him or kill him. It was something that was supposed to be as natural as breathing. His presence – let alone his touch – should have her seething with hatred.

"You okay?" He asked, gripping her shoulder a tad harder.

"Just preoccupied with you going on the mission," Mariah finally looked up into Hesh's eyes, trying to hide the disquiet behind her eyes, "It seems like it's going to be dangerous."

"We've gone on missions like this before. We'll be fine."

"It's you I'm worried about. You attacked that picture with a knife yesterday…"

Hesh took his hand off of her shoulder and walked over to his bed. His body sunk down into it, exhaling heavily. With one hand, he dug under the mattress. A few second later, he produced a black lump of material. Mariah watched as he beckoned her over. Hesitantly, her feet carried her over to the mattress and she sat down next to him. Her eyes watched as he gently unfolded the material to reveal the ghost insignia blazoned onto the balaclava. Mariah furrowed her brow, wondering who it belong to. It was not his, she knew that. He always used his face paint… right?

"This belonged to my father," Hesh started, running his fingers over the warn fabric, "He was killed by that man I threw my knife at."

"What happened?"

"We were captured and he was shot at point blank. I had to watch my own father bleed out to death while Gabriel Rorke stood by and smiled."

_That's my father… typical…_

"I'm sorry. I know how that feels…"

"How?" Hesh put the mask on his table and looked back down at her, shocked.

"That's a story for a different time. You need to get ready for your mission."

Mariah remained silent for the rest of Hesh's preparations. It was not long before she was sitting in the common room, waiting. She knew she would not be allowed to watch the gearing up process before the mission. She did not mind, though. It was less time she had to reminisce about her conflicting and vacillating devotion to her father. The couch provided a much needed escape. It was out in the open and provided the drive to keep her thoughts inside. On the other hand, it was plusher than she had once expected. For about twenty minutes, she sat in silence, concentrating on her breathing.

_"…shot at point blank… watch my own father bleed to death… Rorke stood by and smiled…"_

Mariah still could not believe that Hesh had told her that. Why would he confide in her something so deep and soul crushing? It made no sense to Mariah.

"Mariah," she turned to see the group clad in matching camouflage uniforms. She saw the armour and weapons that clung to their bodies like growing vines. Everyone was standing stone faced… except Neptune... "Neptune is staying back as mission control. He'll watch over you until we get back." Mariah watched Merrick lead his team down the corridor she never had accessed before. Within seconds, they vanished. Minuets passed away in silence. Mariah sat in thought. Where was mission control? Where was she supposed to go? What was she supposed to do? As to answer her questions, she heard a strange sound coming from the roof. It was strangely familiar. Swiftly, she made her way over to the window and peered out. Moments later, she watched a helicopter take off into the horizon. It sounded different than the ones she was used to.

"Don't worry, they'll be fine," Mariah turned around to see Neptune holding to mugs, smiling, "I made you some tea. It'll calm you down. Hesh was telling me how you seemed really stressed out about the mission."

_Yeah… that's it…_

"Thanks," Mariah walked over to him and grabbed it with her left hand. She took a small sip, "Camomile?"

"Mhmm," he took a sip of his own, letting out a contented sigh after words, "follow me. I want to show you mission control."

Mariah followed behind him, wondering where mission control actually was. Back at home, mission control was one place she never really cared to visit. The men there did not want her to pry into their missions, as well. Mariah could not care less. None of her father's missions intrigued her enough to warrant a visit to the dark computer filled room. Mariah watched Neptune turn into the briefing room.

"This is it?" Mariah asked, raising her eye brow in confusion.

"Not exactly," Mariah watched as Neptune walked deeper into the room. She followed along, remembering what had occurred in here yesterday. Her eyes laid upon the mark Hesh had stabbed into the picture in his rage. Hesh had every right to be mad. Rorke had killed his father, yes, but he must have done something to anger her father's wrath. As Mariah walked past the picture, she hoped her questions would be answered soon. Once they passed the picture, Mariah saw a door nestled in a slightly hidden corner. Neptune's fingers tapped a few numbers into a keypad and placed his finger on a small scanner. Mariah's ears perked up once she heard a small click as the door became unlocked. It slowly swung open for the duo. Neptune smiled as he walked inside, clearly elated to be in his own element, "this is mission control."

Mariah looked around, slightly impressed. She had expected the cramped room she had seen back home. Here, it was bright and roomy. It was about the size of the room she shared with Hesh... maybe even slightly bigger. The main wall was adorned with different computer monitors. It was something that Mariah never expected of here. In her mind, she would have thought that the room would be very minimal, considering the small team the Ghosts were. Neptune walked over to a chair that was perched in front of the monitors. Mariah counted at least 10 of them. The only thing displayed on them at the moment was a black screen. Neptune grabbed a small ear piece and clipped it to his right ear.

"Ghosts squad testing connection. Over."

_"We hear you loud and clear. Over." _

"Checking live feed. Standby. Over."

Mariah realized the door behind her had closed. The room was slightly darker now. The monitors illuminated almost all of the space. She did not want to move any further than she already was. The only thing Mariah wanted right now was to get her knife back. Going now would be too risky, though. She would have to wait for the right moment. She raised the warm cup to her lips and took in another sip. This time it was quite larger. When her eyes looked back up at screens, she saw they were starting to come alive. She could see the insides of the helicopter. Merrick was sitting at the front and the rest of the team around him. Squinting her eyes, she even noticed Riley sitting next to Hesh. He was wearing a bullet proof vest. Mariah knew how dangerous dogs could be on missions. Riley looked innocent enough, but he obviously packed a punch.

"Mariah," Neptune motioned for her to come over. Complying, she made her way beside him. From the corner, he took out a small rolling stool, "I don't mind if you sit and watch."

"Thanks..." Mariah sat down, cross legged. It was a habit she had gotten into when she was younger. Talking another sip, she looked around at the monitors that were not showing a live feed of the team. Text rolled across some and stayed stagnant on a few.

"Live feed operational. Over."

_"Good. One less thing to worry about. Over."_

"You should be arriving at target destination in three hours. Over."

_ "Understood. We'll check in every hour. Until then, we'll keep radio silence. Merrick over and out."_

Neptune tapped a few commands on his keyboard and the screens changed to pure information. Mariah placed her cup down onto the ground and off to the side. She did not want to knock it over onto the computer equipment.

"For now, it's just us," Neptune tipped his chair back slightly, signing, "it's pretty boring until they actually arrive."

"What do they have to do on their mission?" Mariah asked, trying to sound innocently curious. In all actuality, she wanted to go through the files they had pertaining to the mission. That was something that she knew would be too alarming for them.

"Reconnaissance."

"About what?"

_ Crap that sounded way too prying. _

"Mariah, what do you know about the war that's going on right now?" Neptune turned to face her, leaning in intently.

"I don't really know... I know there's the bad guys and the good guys..."

_ You don't need to know which are which..._

"I don't want to ask why you were at that Fed's base, but they probably tried shoving shit down your throat about who's who. We're the good guys, Mariah. They're the bad guys. One of them is especially bad. You saw the way Hesh acted yesterday right?"

"Yeah. He told me Rorke had killed his father."

"That's not even all of it," Neptune took a sip of his tea, "but what you need to know is that man - Gabriel Rorke - is the one we're doing reconnaissance on. We captured him once but it didn't work out in our favour."

_Dad told me something about that... _

"Are you going to kill him?"

"Not intentionally. We want him alive."

_More like you need him alive. He's no good to you dead._

"Do you think I'll ever get back home?" Mariah took the cup from the ground and grasped it in her hands, watching her knuckles turn white.

"Where is home for you?" Neptune looked into her eyes.

"I don't know." Mariah replied, taking another sip of the tea. It was not soothing in the slightest.

"For now, this is your home. I know Merrick says he'll send you back when you're healed up but if you don't know where home is, he won't either."

"Really? He seemed like a real hard ass about it."

"Merrick is Merrick. He may seem like a hard ass, but he has his moments."

"What's your family like?"

"These men here are my family now. They have been ever since I met them."

"That's actually really nice. It's neat how you can share that kind of bond."

"What's your family like?"

Mariah did not know what to say. What was her family like? A better to question to ask would be _who _was her family. Thinking about it now, who was her family? Her mother was dead and her father could be dead for all she cared. It was tough describing something that did not exist. Mariah looked into Neptune's eyes and saw concern pooling on the surface.

"It's big, but not close in the slightest."

The Federation was her family. She was their child and they were her parents. She was raised to grow up in their image. They had molded her and shaped her into what they had wanted. In a sense, the Federation was more nurturing than her own father. They at least cared what she did. Her father barley knew she was alive. Lots of people grow up that way, right? Mariah took in a breath, solidifying this notion. You did not need love or praise to flourish. All you needed was yourself.

"Mariah, if you can call this place your home, you can call us your family. We all care for you - especially Hesh. He treats you like a little sister."

"I appreciate it but I still don't understand why." Mariah looked up at the monitors, wishing this conversation never commenced.

"Mariah, you really need to think about that."

"I don't understand..."

"You were almost killed. You're scared and confused about what happened," he laid his hands on her shoulders, trying to reassure her, "we just want to help you recover and get comfortable being back with actual people. Who knows how long you were in those horrible conditions. It changed you. We all know how it can change a person... but you still have a chance. Relax and just be yourself."

_I am being myself. Why do they keep saying they know how it can change a person?_

"It's hard to change after you've been through the same thing for years."

"Did they... torture you?" Neptune pulled her stool closer and Mariah looked into his eyes. She could see the empathy swirling around his watchful eyes.

"I don't want to talk about." Mariah quickly shot back at him, narrowing her eyes and hardening her face. That was the honest truth. Mariah wanted to stop this conversation and were it was going. They never tortured her there. To some, it may seem like it. Such a young child turning out the cold way she was simply screamed a traumatic past. Mariah did not think about her past. It was normal like every other child's... right? It had to be. She had turned out fine.

"If you ever want to talk," Neptune wrapped his arms around her and gave her a wear squeeze, "me and the group will be here for you."

"I know."

Neptune let go and looked back into her eyes. Mariah looked away, wanting and waiting to execute her plan. A digital clock on the wall read 8:53. Time seemed to go by slowly in this room. Mariah felt slightly tired by waking up so early. Sure, she could have gone back to sleep but it intrigued her too much not to. Mariah looked back over at Neptune. She knew all he wanted to do was make her feel welcome and belonging. There was nothing that could truly make her feel that way. Nothing. Neptune looked up at the clock and tapped a few keys on the keyboard.

"Time to check in with the team?" Mariah watched him flip the monitors back on and saw the team, their weapons trained for anything. It was still going to be two hours until they would arrive at their destination.

"Just about," he grabbed a small ear piece from the side, "want to listen in? You won't be able to say anything but you'll be able to hear everything they say."

"Okay," Neptune brushed the hair back on the right side of her face. Gently, he wrapped the piece around the back of her ear and rested it at the entrance to her ear drum, "it's so small..."

"I designed it. Never know when it'll come in handy."

Mariah let her hair drop back down to it's natural position. She had gained his trust. Mariah knew that would come in handy.

"Merrick this is Neptune. What's your status? Over." Neptune's voice cracked in her ear. His voice sounded very robotic.

_"Everything's according to plan. Nothing new to report. Over."_ Merrick's voice sounded as harsh as usual.

"I'll check in at 10 am sharp. Over."

_"Understood. Merrick over and out." _

The com went dead and Neptune cut the live feed. He looked over at Mariah and she tried to flash a small smile.

"So?"

"It was near listening in like that."

"That's why I love my job."

Mariah let out a yawn. She was more tired than she had expected. Nothing was going to happen till another hour. In one sip, she downed the rest of the tea and placed the empty cup on the floor beside her. Mariah closed her eyes and took a deep breath, relaxing. If she only closed her eyes for a few minutes, she'd be fine. The soft humming of the computers lulled her into a dreamless sleep. It was a nice, deep slumber Mariah managed to fall into. This nap was one of the best sleeps she had had in a while. It seemed to last forever.

_"Neptune to Merrick. What's your status. Over."_

_ "Within the hour we'll be arriving to the drop off point. Over." _

_ "You're ahead of schedule. That's good. Over." _

_ "Let's hope that goodness spreads across this mission. Will report back when landed. Merrick over and out." _

Mariah blinked her eyes. She felt herself leaning up against something warm. It smelled strongly of pine. Slowly, Mariah lifted herself up to see what she had fallen asleep against. It was Neptune. He smiled at her and rubbed his arm.

"Have a good rest?"

"Yeah," she stood up and stretched her arm out, "why didn't you wake me? That must have been uncomfortable for you."

"You needed it. My arm survived." He turned his chair to face Mariah.

"Did I miss anything interesting?" She picked her cup off of the ground.

"Nah. Just checked in with them. It must have woken you up."

"Yeah, it did," she took his cup off of the desk and put it under the crook of her arm, "I was going to get something to drink. Want something?"

"Coffee. Black, please." Neptune replied, nodding.

Mariah opened the door with her good arm, nearly dropping the two cups. As the door closed behind her, she quickened her pace. Now was the time to go and find her knife.


	9. Battle Born Pt 2

_**(HEEEEEY EVERYBUDAY ;D so stuff is going to happen between Hesh and Mariah next chapter! It's gonna get emotional D: I hope everyone is enjoying it :) I got a shout out in someones story asdfghjk (The Unloved) and an OC I created is possibly showing up in a fan fic call 'The Other Sanderson' :D AND GUYS HOLY CRAP OVER 1,100 READS :'D :'D :'D I love you all for your continued support! My chapters are starting to get longer and longer because of you! So enjooooy :D I really appreciate reviews :3 After this fic I already have an idea for my next one! It's gonna be first person because I hate writing first person ;P hopefully it'll turn out well! ENJOY :D PLEASE REVIEEEEEEEEW:D )**_

Mariah walked through the briefing room and tried to keep her mind focused on the mission at home. She knew he would keep them in his room, if anything. As she passed Rorke's picture, something rippled through her. Now was not the time for pain nor reminisce – it was time for action. It felt almost awkward being in this room without the Ghosts. This whole building felt empty without them. Even at home, the constant presence of soldiers was something that made the place more whole. Mariah exited the briefing room as fast as she could. She needed to find that knife. Rounding the corner, Mariah stopped at the door to her room. It dawned on her that she did not know where Merrick's room was. It had to be somewhere in this corridor. Mariah walked a few feet until she came across another door. She placed the cups on the ground with a 'clank' and opened the door. Inside, the room could not be Merrick's. It felt too warm for her liking. Two computers sat next to the bed. This room had to belong to Neptune. Closing to door, she turned around to the door directly across from it. Once she had opened this one, she immediately closed it. There was nothing inside. A mattress sitting on a metal frame and a table next to it; just like the rest. No personal effects, though.

_Where is his bloody room?!_

Mariah thought of something. If this place was like home, Merrick's room should be at the end. Quickly, she sprinted to the end of the hall. On her immediate left was a door. Holding her breath, she pushed grasped the handle and opened it. She strode into the middle of the room and looked around. This had to be it. Looking by the window, a medium sized oak desk sat basking in the morning light. Mariah immediately went over to it and tried to open the top drawer. It was locked.

_You have got to be kidding me…_

Mariah did not have time to try and pick the lock. In the past, she had tried but had never managed to open any. Mariah threw her arm out in frustration and knocked over a stack of files on his desk. Panicking, Mariah knelt down and tried to grab all of the files. She did not know which order they had to be placed in, but she tried. As she picked up a few she found two files that she never imagined finding.

R., Mariah; Rorke, Gabriel.

Mariah put the rest of the files onto the desk and took the two other files. She would go through them later. Grudgingly, Mariah exited the room and shut the door behind her. Neptune would probably be wondering what was taking her so long to make simple drinks. Before she made her way to the kitchen, she stopped to pick up to cups she had left on the floor. As she passed her room, she saw she had left the door open. She placed the cups on the side of her table and stashed the files in the drawer. Swiftly, she made her way to the kitchen. The kettle still had water in it from when Neptune had made something for them to drink. She placed the cups she brought from her room next to the kettle as she pressed the button to put it on. Her fingers tapped the worn counter top as she waited.

_I should probably find the coffee…_

There were many cupboards in this kitchen. One of them had to hide the contents she desired. Mariah checked high and low, but she could not find the coffee. The click of the kettle had her body turning toward the water to pour it. As she turned, she saw Neptune standing in the doorway.

"Can't find the coffee?"

"No," she took the kettle and pour the cups three quarters filled, "I don't know how you find anything in this kitchen."

"No worries," Neptune took a cylindrical container off of the counter and opened it, "I should've told you where we keep it."

Neptune poured the coffee into his cup and sloshed it around. Mariah glanced around the kitchen, wanting to see what was in those files. Merrick had to have a reason why he kept them together, right? Everything always had a reason in Mariah's mind. Everyone _did _something for a reason. Merrick must have seen something between her and her father. The only thing that Mariah could think of was that knife. Even then, a million last names could start with the letter 'R'. That dossier was something that she needed to access. For now, she needed to put it out of her mind.

"Here," Neptune handed her back her mug, brewing with a dark translucent hue, "I made you some more camomile when you were looking around."

"Thanks." She took a sip of it, feeling the contents warm her stomach.

Mariah and Neptune made their way back to mission control. For the next week, this is where Mariah stayed. The Ghosts had landed at their destination just after they had gotten back from the kitchen. Once arriving, Mariah listened to them talking about the mission at hand. They were to infiltrate an apparent safe house for information. The mission was fairly uneventful in Mariah's eyes. She had expected much more gunfire and violence. It was too stealthy for her liking. Neptune had let her observe the mission as much as she wanted. Mariah was amazed that he even let her stay in the room let alone listen in on the conversations that went on. He needed to keep her busy somehow, Mariah suspected. There was no other reason for it.

For the first few days, Mariah heard idle chat between Neptune and them about their status. They were alive and the mission was going well so far. They had not been spotted by any Federation troops yet. If she ever got home, she would have to tell her father about how easy it was to slip past them. Every so often when they were talking, Neptune would glance over at Mariah. There was something behind his eyes. Maybe he was gauging her reaction. Mariah always tried to look amazed and overwhelmed about the mission they were doing. It was something that was quite easy. Since the team had landed, Neptune kept the live feed of them operational. Mariah followed along with the group. Once in a while, she would see something that was very familiar. It was hard not to think of home when those moments arrived. Was this place even home? When she was eight or nine she remembered living in the Amazon for a while. It was a nice change for her. There had been a much bigger place for her to roam around. Mariah had to supress a small smile that started to creep onto her face.

There was a house that Mariah had lived in – an actual house. There was never any soldiers around. It was all for her and her father when he actually chose time to visit her and do work. It had been hidden away through dense foliage. Mariah could have cared less where it was – it was her home. That place would be more of a home than anywhere else she had been. Her room had been perfect. She remembered there was a section of flooring that was hidden in her closet and lead to a hiding spot in case she ever needed to hide from the Ghosts… and look at her now. She was sipping tea with one of them.

_"Mission control, approaching target. Over." _

"Roger that. Target should be just beyond the trees. Enemies have not been spotted in the surrounding area. Over."

_"Ghosts, stay frosty."_

Mariah perked up in her hair. After days of waiting, there was finally some action going on. Through the monitors, Mariah watched patiently. The Ghosts made their way through the dense foliage and Mariah's eyes went wide.

_This is my old house…_

_"Target found. Ready to engage." _

_Please no…_

Mariah watched as the team stormed the house. It had stayed the same since last time she had seen it. Vines had started to grow over the old house but otherwise it was the same. As the live feed allowed her a view of the house, memories started flowing in her mind. She had thought this place was long gone. It should have remained a memory in the past. Mariah watched Hesh's feed as he climbed the staircase. Mariah looked around, and watched the scene unfold around her. She knew what was upstairs. Hoping against hope, she wished that Hesh would not open the last door down the hall. There were three doors down here. He opened the closest ones to the stairs. This had been her father's room. It was exactly how she remembered it - a bed in the corner, a desk to the side and a small closet. He always valued simplicity and efficiency.

_"First room clear."_

Hesh made his way to the second door on the opposite side of the hall. This had been her father's office. Immediately, Hesh went over to the computer and started to upload any information he could off of it.

_"Second room clear. Downloading enemy intel. Kick, check last room upstairs." _

_"Roger that."_

Mariah looked over at Kick's feed. He was behind Hesh the entire time. He moved swiftly to the last door. Mariah held her breath as he opened it and held his weapon to attack. As he tried to jiggle to door open, it would not open. With a swift kick of his boot, the door swung open and he entered, poising his gun to shoot.

_"Third room clear. Merrick, you might want to see this."_

_"Coming up to your position."_

Mariah could not believe it. From Kick's view, she could see everything how she had left it. There was her bed clad in the red bedspread she used to hide under when she heard gunfire. The black dresser still stood across from the bed, probably still filled with clothing. Mariah watched Kick look around and start opening some of the drawers. They were still filled with clothing. Her father must have locked the room and never gone back into it once they left. Mariah could not remember exactly why they left. Once again, there had to have been a reason.

"That's so weird…" Neptune remarked, typing away into his computer.

"What do you mean?" Mariah asked, keeping her eyes on the screen.

"This was supposed to be a safe house for Rorke… but this room indicates he wasn't living there alone. I think he had a daughter."

_Mariah relax – they don't know it's you._

"Him having a daughter? That doesn't seem right… you know what I mean?" Mariah tried to sound taken aback by all of this. She hoped there was no incriminating evidence towards her she had left behind.

_"This is interesting. He must've had a daughter." _

_No shit…_

Mariah did not even want to be in this room right now. She took the piece out of her ear and placed it on the side.

"I think I'm going to call it a night. I've been staying up too late these last nights." Mariah stood up and pretended to yawn, looking at Neptune.

"Good night. I'll be up until they get back."

Mariah left in a hurry. At this point, she could not take what she had just scene. Why did her father keep that house so pristine? He should have destroyed any evidence of her long ago. Did that mean he really did care about her? Or did he not care if she was discovered? A million questions were flying around her mind in a flurry. Once Mariah had entered her room, she closed the door and ripped open the drawer. The two files still lay untouched in the drawer. Mariah had been itching to open them up. The last thing she saw from the mission made her want to open these files even more. She took them into her hands and reclined onto her bed. She took out the first one.

R., Mariah

Hesitantly, she opened it.

Name: Mariah R.(?)

Status: Alive

Gender: Female

Age: 12 (?)

Race: Caucasian

Birthplace: N/A

Hair Color: Brown

Eye Color: Brown

Physical Build: Average

Markings: Scar on left side of face

Notes: Subject seemed to fear Ghosts. Possible Fed ties. Possible connections to Gabriel Rorke (daughter).

Mariah put the file down. Merrick had suspected from the beginning. Her face had to have been a dead giveaway. Reading over the file again, she noted that he had suspected possible ties to Rorke and the Federation. He could not prove them. For now, that comforted Mariah. She closed her file and took the other one.

Rorke, Gabriel

Name: Gabriel Rorke

Nickname(s): The Ghost Killer

Status: Alive

Rank: Captain (USMC/Ghosts, Former)

Retired: N/A

Gender: Msle

Race: Caucasian

Nationality: American

Hair Color: Brown

Eye Color: Brown

Physical Build: Heavy Set

Height: 6'3" (191 cm)

Markings: Scar on left side of face

Affiliations: USMC(Former), Ghosts (Former),Federation

Notes: Extremely dangerous. Possible daughter (Mariah) found in Fed complex.

Mariah put the file down. She could not believe what she had just read.

Rank: Captain (USMC/Ghosts, Former)

Her father had been one of them? No, that was not true. Her father would never b apart of this type of operation. He was a Federation solider. He always was and always would be. Mariah tossed the file on her bed and clenched her jaw. This must have been some sort of sick joke Merrick was playing on her. Mariah grabbed her bag from the drawer and fished out the piece of folded up paper. Standing up, Mariah turned off the lights and basked in the glow of the moon. It was full tonight. The room took on an ominous feel as Mariah took the picture and her bag over to the window. She sunk down to her knees and unfolded it.

Inside was a picture of three people – her father, her mother and her. Mariah had only been a few days old. This was the only evidence she had of her father smiling. He looked genuinely happy. His smile cut deeply into Mariah. Why did he give her his love then but not now? Mariah gripped the picture tightly in her hand. She watched the picture become dotted with tear the longer she looked at it.

_Stop it, stop it, stop it! Look at you. You're turning into a wreck. _

Mariah could not stand that smile any longer. There was something she needed to do. Something she thought she would never regret. From her bag, she found what she needed: a match. With a quick strike against the ground, Mariah watched the flame come to life. The smile on her father's face seemed to intensify in the light. Mariah let out a small sob as she took the lit match to her father's face. The paper quickly burned away under the destructive flame.

"You deserve it you bastard." Mariah whispered, watching her father's face slowly disappear. Mariah crumpled the paper in her hand, ignoring the faint pain from the smoldering paper. This was something Mariah had needed to do. Her father was not the person she had thought she had been. There was something else there. Why could she have not seen it earlier? Mariah leaned her head back onto the wall and let herself stream silent tears down her face. For the first time in a while Mariah did not know what to do. Usually she had some plan of action. That dossier turned her mind to mush. It had to be a joke, right? But why on earth would Merrick make something up in a file? Mariah fell into a deep, troubled sleep that she wished she would never wake from. It was easier to deal with than reality, at the moment.


	10. Let Her Go

_**(sorry I haven't posted in the last couple of days! exams are at the end of jan. so I'm kinda freaking out. I really need to start studying.. any how I'm only going to post like once a week:/ I'm sorry! so don't get mad about me in this chapter.. the ending... I'm sorry! I'm not saying anything about the end of this chapter!... until the end XD)**_

Mariah started to stir out of her troubled slumber. It felt much more comfortable than she remembered when first falling asleep. Opening her eyes, she found herself lying in her bed. For all that could be remembered about last night, she could not recall herself ever making her way into her bed. Mariah tossed the covers aside and sat up. The afternoon light poured into her room.

_What the hell happened last night…_

Mariah went over to the window, frantically looking around. Last night, the picture had been in her hand, smoldering. Immediately, her palm folded open to reveal a small burn mark. She clenched her hand, ignoring the dull pain – the meds would take care of that. Where had her picture gone? Mariah felt a small lump in her throat start to form. It was possible in her emotional rage last night she had burned it to ashes. Biting her lip, she closed her eyes. A picture was worth a thousand words, some would say. The only words that came to mind when she had ever looked at that photo were hatred, confusion and sadness.

_Wait a minute… where are those files…_

Mariah walked back over to her bed. They had been right there… but they were gone. Mariah tossed around her bedding but it was no use – they were gone. She looked around the room. Frantically, she searched. It had to be here somewhere. The Ghosts were gone on a mission. Neptune was working in the command center. He was their lifeline. None of this made sense to her.

_Ah shit… I didn't even find my knife. I should have kept looking. Neptune is probably still in his little command center. I don't know how long he's been in there. I better do this now. It's my last chance. They'll be back later today if I remember him correctly._

Taking a deep breath, she left the room. It felt strangely occupied here.

_Relax you're just paranoid._

Each step Mariah took, she carefully measured them. If Neptune was around here, she did not want to run the risk of running into him. As Mariah walked past the first door, she suddenly stopped. From the common room, she could hear two muffled voices.

_"That little bitch was in my room."_

_ "Sir, she was probably curious."_

_ "I know what she is. Curious is not her."_

_ "Don't confront her right away, sir. You'll scare her. She's still traumatized."_

_ "David you're being blinded by your grief for your brother. I know he's gone but we'll get him back."  
"I know but I feel responsible for her. She's just a kid."_

_ "David, she's not just a kid…"_

_ No._

Mariah sprinted down the hall towards the voices. Mariah looked to see Hesh and Merrick in the middle of a heated argument. They looked over at her. Mariah saw deep hatred embedded into Merrick's eyes. Hesh flashed a small smile over at her, trying to diffuse the situation. Obviously, they did not know she had overheard them. She was going to keep it that way.

"You're back," Mariah walked over to Hesh, putting on her best excited smile, "I didn't think you were getting back till later."

"We arrived late last night," Hesh approached her, "do you know what day it is today?"

"No."

"It's December 25th."

_Christmas…_

"It's Christmas," Mariah looked around to see Merrick leaving the room. He was not happy, "did you get anything from your friends?"

"Yeah," Mariah watched Hesh saunter over to the Christmas tree. Hesh kneeled at the base of the tree and picked up a rectangular shaped box that was still wrapped, "Mariah, come here."

_What the hell is this…_

Cautiously, Mariah walked over to Hesh. He put an arm on her shoulder and handed the gift to her. It was neatly wrapped in an emerald green paper and topped by a brilliant golden bow. Mariah ran her fingers over the wrapping as her eyes widened in curiosity.

"I've… never gotten a gift before…" Mariah sat down on the couch, staring at the gift. She took in a breath, not knowing what to do. This had never happened to her before.

_Why did he get me something? I just… I don't know. Do I open it? Should I give it back? Dad never got me anything before. He barely knows me…_

"I hope you like it." Hesh sat down next to her, smiling.

Carefully, Mariah stripped back the paper to reveal her gift. Her mouth stood agape on her face. Hesh had given to her what she had thought she destroyed. Encased in a black frame was her family portrait. The flames had burned through her father's face and scorched other parts of it. Mariah could not help but focus on her face in the picture. The tiny smile she wore on her baby face seemed to pierce through her soul. She looked back over at Hesh who waited with an eager smile.

"I…" Mariah looked back down at the picture. He had taken time to unwrinkled it and try to restore it as best as he could. This was too much for Mariah. There was something about this act that tore through Mariah like the bullet that tore through her lungs. After years of being cold, hard and conniving, Mariah was being reduced to nothing. Her tough, coarse shell crumbled around her to leave the raw, sensitive girl that had been forced away.

Mariah gripped the frame tightly. As hard as she tried, she could not help the cataclysmic series of events that were starting a domino effect. Her eyes started to sting the longer she stared at the picture. Trying to contain herself, Mariah bit her lip. Tears started to dot her cheeks. Mariah looked into Hesh's eyes. He could not tell what she was feeling.

"So... what do you think?"

What did she think? Mariah could not think of anything right now. Years of pent of hatred, sadness and loneliness all poured out of her like a tidal wave crashing on the shores of a rocky beach. Without a second thought Mariah placed the picture on the couch and started to run.

"Mariah? MARIAH!" Hesh called after her with concern mounting in his voice.

Hesh's cries were in vain, though, as they only fell on deaf ears. Mariah could not care less about where she was going. All she cared about was getting out of his presence. Mariah ran down the corridor that housed the briefing room. There had to be somewhere that she could be alone. Mariah felt tears roll down her face and splatter onto the floor as she ran as fast as she could. The pain in her chest would not stop her now. Mariah saw a door at the end of the corridor and barreled into it. She looked around as a chocked sob escaped her lips. A stairwell stood before her. Making a rash decision and started to run up the stairs. An increasing number of sobs started to come through her mouth and assault her ears.

_WHY?! I can't take this... I can't..._

Everything around her started to fade into a blur. Each step brought her closer and closer to the edge. Mariah could not recall how long she had run up those stairs. Her puffy red eyes finally saw an escape. With a few more steps and a shower of tears, Mariah made her way to a door. She knew where it would lead - the gateway to her salvation.

Mariah flung open the door and ran onto the roof of the building. Her tired, pained eyes gazed in the beauty of it all. This was her escape. This was her sanctuary. Mariah dropped down to her knees and started to bawl her eyes out. Her entire world crashed down with a force like no other. The pain that emanated through her body was nothing compared to the pain that was shredding her soul. Mariah buried her face in her arms and continued to sob. It was the only thing she could do. Mariah had never experienced this in her life before. All of those years of being like her father were being blown away in the wind that tossed her hair around violently.

_I can't take this anymore! I can't... I just... I'm done..._

Mariah could not help but gaze upon the horizon in her broken state. It was beautiful.

It was also the last thing she was going to see.

With a loud cry, Mariah ran towards the edge of the building, her red eyes wide open. This would be her escape.

Nothing could change her mind.

Nothing.

No one.

Mariah felt her heart pounding through her head and blocked out everything else. Her tears ceased their flow as she focused on the sun. It was a thing of magnificence. Oh how she wished she could be like the sun. It always managed to light the darkest of places and warm the coldest of lands. The light encased Mariah in a single moment. This moment was the only thing that mattered to her. The wind rushed past her face as she neared the end. A gasp escaped her lips as she jumped over the edge, reaching for the sky with her left hand.

"I'M SORRY, DAD!" She cried out as she seemed to float in the air.

* * *

_**(so... is this the end? Does Mariah kill herself? I know *teehee* sorry I wanted to stop here. Oh you all must be hating me so much right now... fear not - you'll see what happens... or will you? ;D keep checking back to see if I updated :) SO... AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH... I do't feel bad in the slightest ending it here ;D oh I can't wait till the next chapter :D Hesh and Merrick... oh fun times XD)**_


	11. How To Save A Life

**(HEYYY so the last chapter I wrote... Yeah I got two of my buddiewandering to kill me becausit of it XD hope you enjoy - only a few more chapters left... DUN DUN DUUUN! Already dabbling on the next one. Exams starting Friday - Precal (I'll update Friday again) then I got a bio exam the Tuesday then a history exam the Wednesday ;p so the end of next week is D-Dft XD ANYEAYS. REVIEWS IM LOVING THST YOU WANT MORE! Next chapter sheeeeet hits the fan with Merrick! PCE! :D ) **

Mariah felt something grab hold of her outstretched hand. It had to have been an angel. Of course she did not believe in them, but it was the only solution that her mind could surmise at her current state. The sun blinded her eyes as she floated. For a few moments, she did not even realize what was happening. Once Mariah had finally realized that she was not floating, she looked up.

Her guardian angel had kept her a float. Outstretched on the roof was Hesh, holding her arm and struggling. Mariah felt her limp body dangle in the wind.

_This wasn't supposed to happen…_

"Let me go!" Mariah yelled out, looking into Hesh's eyes, the tears streaking down her face, once again.

Mariah watched as Hesh defied her request and started to pull her body up. Without her realizing, Hesh must have had ran after her. Gravity pushed against her frail body as Hesh's training allowed him to complete this task. Mariah did not want to hear what he was about to say. Mariah did not want to hear_anything_, for that matter. This was what she wanted to do. With a large pull, she felt Hesh lift her over the edge of the roof and felt him wrap his arms around her. Silently, he carried her back inside. Once the door had closed behind them, Mariah felt him place her down on the ground. Hesh sat down next to her and waited. Mariah would not speak. There was nothing to say. The only thing that was coming out of her lips were hushed sobs and tears streaming from her eyes.

"Why the hell did you do that Mariah!?" Hesh started, looking over at her. Mariah did not notice. She kept her head forward and tried to rebuild her shield. It was not working. Something inside of Mariah possessed her and grabbed a firm grasp of her soul and threw it at Hesh. Without warning, Mariah let out a few chocked sobs and collapsed into Hesh's lap. Her mind and body had been strong for far too long.

"I can't take it anymore," she let out a small whimper, "I have so much shit that… I just can't do this…" Mariah sniffled, feeling a barrage of sobs bubbling at the back of her throat. Part of her wanted to keep them down but yet another wanted them to finally come to light.

"Mariah, it's okay," she felt Hesh wrap his arms her, placing his hand on her head, running his fingers through her frizzy hair, "I'm here for you…"

Mariah lifted herself from her crumpled state in Hesh's lap and looked into his eyes, feeling the tears start to flow down her face like a rushing river. The sobs that once stayed in her throat trickled out, one by one.

Like water breaking through a dam, Mariah let everything out in front of Hesh.

"David, you don't understand," Mariah screamed at him, her vision becoming bleary from the tears she cried, "I watched my father have someone kill my mother before my own eyes. What he did… I… I thought what he was doing was right. I loved my father. He raised me since I was a child," Mariah felt her arms start to tremble as words spewed out of her mouth, "Now I don't know what to think. He's a Federation soldier – but he's still my father. I should love him, right? I know you hate them but I'm starting to now, too," Mariah looked deep into Hesh's eyes, not even realizing what she was saying, "I know you had your father murdered… but at least you had one…" Mariah collapsed into Hesh's lap, bawling her eyes out. Her soul was lost admits a sea of confusion and loneliness. There was nothing that could save her now.

"It doesn't matter who your father is – he's not you." Mariah felt Hesh hold her closer, continuing to run his fingers through her hair.

"He is though," Mariah looked back up into his concerned, caring eyes, "I am exactly who he is. I'm cold, stern and lifeless."

"No," she closed her eyes as Hesh wiped away a stream of tears from her face, "you're just a kid. I've only known you for a short amount of time, but you're none of those things. You're just… lonely. You've never had someone to love for and care for you. I can't imagine what it must have been like," Mariah opened her eyes back up, letting another sob out of her lips, "you need to know that I do care for you, Mariah." Without a second thought, Hesh planted a small kiss on Mariah's forehead.

"My father never kissed me once…" Mariah leaned into Hesh, slowly calming down.

"Right now, he doesn't matter – only you do. Focus on that."

Mariah let herself bathe in Hesh's love and warmth. There was nothing more she wanted to do. This moment was too perfect. At this moment, she felt like a normal girl. Here she was letting all of her emotions out and someone was actually listening. It was something that Mariah had never imagined being able to do. Simply, she laid her head on his chest, listing to his heartbeat. The rhythmic beats lulled her to a nullified state. Mariah could not believe how Hesh was acting. Time was no factor for either of them. For a while, the duo simply sat there. Hesh continued to run his fingers through her hair and hold her close. Before Mariah knew it, she had been lulled to sleep by his tenderness.

Hesh looked down at her and watched her chest rise and fall with each breath she took. On her face, a peaceful smile was present… for now. He knew that once she woke up, there were two things that could happen: either she was going to be a blubbering mess – which could not surprise him in the slightest – or she would go back to withdrawn demeanor. There was something about this girl that pulled at his heart strings. All she had wanted in life was a father that loved her. Hesh respected that. As she slept, he continued to run his fingers through her hair and contemplate her background.

Her father was a part of the Federation… or so she had stated. That did not mean she had anything to do with them, though. That man had obviously never looked after her like a real father. Even the Federation did not take care of their own kind, apparently. Hesh could barely believe that Mariah had tried to take her own life minuets ago… how long had it been? She had been sleeping in his arms for quite some now.

Looking down at Mariah made him think of his brother Logan. That bastard Rorke was doing exactly what the Federation had done to him – turn him into a weapon. That man deserved to die a painful and horrible death. Watching his father die at his hands and then his brother being taken from him caused a hole to form in his heart. For some strange reason, he had slowly started to fill that gap with Mariah. All she needed was someone to be there for her. Since the beginning, he had been there. Hesh needed to be able to help someone after he could not do anything for his own brother.

Mariah started to stir after a prolonged slumber in Hesh's arms. This was something that was much needed. Secretly, she had hoped Hesh would have saved her from the decision to end her life. As she opened her eyes, she looked up to see a worried Hesh peering into her eyes.

"Thank you…" She whispered, wrapping her arms around him. After a few second she let go and stood up, sniffling. Who was she? Everything she had been and what she had stood for seemed to be a thing of the past. Her father would not approve.

"It's no problem," Mariah looked up at Hesh as he stood up, "want to join me for a nice cup of hot chocolate?"

"I'd like that a lot, actually." Mariah smiled, genuinely. It felt good being able to smile.

Mariah and Hesh slowly made their way down the staircase. It surprised her how high she had managed to climb in her disoriented state. After years of pent up emotion, it was finally over. Mariah could finally be normal.

It took a few minutes, but they finally made it to the doorway she had come from. As she opened it, a face she did not want to see was staring her in the face, stone cold and hardened. Merrick looked down at her, anger pooling and boiling in his eyes. He grabbed her arm and started to pull her down the hall.

"We need to talk. Now."


	12. Demons

_**(HEEEY :D so I wrore my precal exam today so that's done and over WTH FNALLY! My CoD: Ghost earring and necklace set came today so im so happy about it :D so this chapter... just... shit hits the fan XD enjoy :D please review each one I read and love :3 ENJOOOOOY :DDD next update on next Friday ;D IT'S STILL FRIDAY AS I POST THIS FYIIII ;D ) **_

Mariah forced herself to be pulled along. Even though she had finally let her inner despair out into the open, she did not want to be controlled like her father once controlled her. Somehow, she managed to ignore Merrick's firm grasp biting into her skin as he whipped open the door to his room. Mariah turned her head to see Hesh's eyes fill with worry... and suspicion. Curtly, Merrick threw her in. Mariah lost her footing and slammed down onto the floor with a loud thud and an audible groan.

"What the fuck, Merrick?!" Mariah looked up at Hesh who was fuming.

Without missing a beat, Mariah felt the vice grip of Merrick's fingers clench the back of her neck as he pulled her back to her feet. She felt the warm breath from his nostrils brush against her drying tear streaked face.

"You've been keeping something from me this whole time."

"No," Mariah strained against his grip, "I haven't kept anything from you!"

"Merrick, she's just a kid." Mariah's eyes darted over to Hesh who started to approach Merrick, trying to calm the situation.

"Stand down, soldier. That's an order." She watched as Merrick snapped his head at Hesh, pointing his free hand at him.

Mariah saw the look of sternness on his face. Deep in his eyes, she could see deep seated hatred simmering.

"Now," Mariah looked into the eyes of her foe. Merrick wore a smile that left her unsettled, "I'm going to give you one chance and one chance only. What have you been hiding from me?" Mariah eased up once Merrick let her neck go. Rubbing at her neck, she was at a loss for words.

_What can I say? Shit... he doesn't have any solid evidence on me... right? Yeah. I have nothing to hide. Technically, I haven't been hiding anything from him._

"Sir, I haven't hid anything from you, honestly."

Mariah watched Merrick walk over to his desk and unlock the drawer she had tried to open. His hand rummaged around until he grasped something. Spinning around, Merrick reached over and grabbed Mariah, forcing her head down onto his desk. Mariah's eyes widened as her worst fear came to light. Merrick's hand slammed down onto the desk and left her fear embedded in the wood, trembling.

It was the knife.

"Explain this."

Mariah lifted her head and yanked the knife out of the wood. Her heart pounded out from her chest as her fingers ran across the shaft and over her initials. Immediately , Mariah's mind started to reminisce about her childhood. Her father's face flashed across her mind's eye as she looked over the blade. Mariah felt mixed emotions as she remembered her father.

"It's my knife." Mariah flipped the blade so it faced downward.

"I know that," he sneered, "what do the initials stand for?"

"My name," Mariah looked over at Hesh who stood, jaw clenched towards the door, "I don't understand - I haven't done anything wrong."

"You were in my room and took something."

_Shit._

"I..."

Mariah watched as Merrick pulled two files from the drawer and tossed them on the floor. Even from here, she could still read the names.

Rorke, Gabriel

R., Mariah

"Why on earth would you take these two files,_ specifically_, if you had nothing to hide?"

Mariah did not know what to say nor what to do. This was something she could not explain. Merrick had a valid point: why would she have taken these two files specifically? Yes, taking her own would make sense, but Rorke's... that was another story. Her curiosity over her father had overshadowed her intentions to remain elusive. With a quick thought, Mariah acted.

"Since you wouldn't tell me about him, I wanted to know who he was." Mariah kept her gaze on her father's dossier. In reality, Mariah had not lied about that. There was nothing more she wanted then to find out what they knew about him... and find out what she did not know.

"He's a piece of shit," Mariah snapped her head up at him as a sadistic grin spread across Merrick's face, "that bastard used to be one of us - a Ghost. Now, since the Federation turned him against us, he's killed two of our team members and captured another." Mariah clenched her jaw as Merrick spat his venomous words.

Mariah looked over at Hesh, anger and resentment dominating his face.

"Rorke is a man who deserves to die... along with everyone associated with him." Merrick finished, crushing the papers under his boot, "I can't wait until I can crush him like the bug he is."

Something inside Mariah snapped. She was against everything her father had done and who... what he was... but he was still her father. He might just be the worst father in existence... but he was still her father. Mariah could feel all the hatred she once directed at her father, being directed at Merrick. Mariah had not fully recovered from her previous breakdown and this was causing her inner turmoil to boil up once again - Merrick had simply been a catalyst. Her hands gripped the knife more intensely, causing her knuckles to turn an ominous white hue. A surge of energy coursed through her as something unexpected happened.

"Don't you dare talk about my father that way you fucking piece of shit!" Mariah took the knife she had in her hand and lunged at Merrick. Aiming for his heart was the only thing she was focused on.

Mariah watched in slow motion as Merrick grabbed at her wrist and twisted the knife out of her hand. With a smooth motion, he slammed her body onto the floor with her arm behind her back. Mariah did not realize what she had done. Instinct had taken over too quickly.

"What's your name? SAY IT!"

"MARIAH RORKE! Are you happy?! My father is Gabriel Rorke..."

Mariah let out a sob as the realization of her current situation dawned on her. With the Ghosts knowing who she was, they would certainly use that to their advantage... in anyway possible. Mariah felt Merrick pick her up by the back of her neck and keep her good arm behind her back. Tears rolled down her face as she looked into Hesh's enraged eyes. What hurt the most was having Hesh think she was involved in some scheme of Rorke's.

"You lied to me." His words cut like a scalpel through soft flesh.

"No, David-"

"You lied to me... after all this time I trusted you. I take back what you said you are e_xactly _like your father."

Mariah felt her eyes sting as more tears flowed down her face. Everything from this point on would be impossible to predict - even her own actions.

"If I was anything like my father, don't you think I would've tried to kill you?! Tried _anything_?!"

"Did your father send you to spy on us?" Merrick intoned, keeping Mariah's body propped up.

"No," Mariah hung her head low, "me arriving here was something that was my worst nightmare."

The room fell silent. Only the heavy breathing from Mariah's outburst could be slightly heard. No one dared say anything.

"Hesh, take her to the unoccupied room. I will send someone to keep her under guard until we find an appropriate place for our Federation guest."

"Don't call me that." Mariah craned her neck and glared into Merrick's eyes.

"You're in no position to be demanding anything, girl."

"Even though she's his daughter... do you think this is necessary, sir? If she'd wanted to anything, she's had ample opportunity." Hesh added. Mariah could barely see hisface, but she knew he was seething.

"Don't be naive; follow my orders." Mariah shut her eyes as she heard Hesh's response, feeling defeated and afraid.

"Yes, sir."

Mariah dropped her head down low as Hesh gripped her forearm and guided her away from Merrick's room. There was nothing she wanted more in this world than to tell Hesh that her and her father had nothing to do with each other - but he would not believe it. Mariah barely believed it herself. Their relationship was complicated. No one knew that, though. Everyone believed they would be a perfect killing team - together. That was far from the truth, though. Someway, somehow, she had to convince them that she had nothing to do with them. Blinking back the stray tears, Mariah looked into Hesh's eyes. She could see the anger and contempt in his eyes. Secretly, she hoped that Hesh still cared for her. Before she knew it, Hesh had led her to a vacant room - the one she had seen before - and closed it. The door was not locked, but there was no where to run. It would simply solidify their notion of her - she was planted here.

Sinking down onto the mattress, Mariah drew her knees to her chest, ignoring the pain that accompanied each movement and silently cried. It was the only thing she had control over, at the moment.


	13. Airplanes

**_(heeeeeey everybodaaaaaaaay :D omgaaaaaawd I hope you're enjoying the story so far! PlaidWrappedMoose this chapter goes out to you my fine friend! )_**

_"Daddy's little girl…" Mariah ran through a darkened corridor. The voice was familiar to her… to familiar. No matter how fast she ran, the darkness never left her. Something grabbed a hold of her ankle and pulled her down, further into the abyss. Frantically, Mariah looked around, looking for something to free her. _

_ "Look at her squirm… bring her over here!" Mariah did not know this voice… it sounded smooth and crisp. A shiver ran down her spine. As she turned her head, Mariah saw the hand. Something was off about it. As it dragged her down, a light seemed to emanate around it. With a sudden jerk, Mariah felt herself falling as a blinding white light engulfed her. The hand had dropped her, sending her free falling. Mariah tried to scream but only a stream of blood sprayed around her. The blood twirled around her in a beautiful dance of life and death. It wrapped around her body and started to crush her. Mariah struggled against its vice grip to stay alive. It was only a matter of moments before she had crashed into the ground. The blood glided over her skin and settled around her wrists and ankles, pinning her to the ground. Mariah looked all around – the faces were almost all familiar. She saw her father, Merrick, Hesh… all the Ghosts were here. Even a few Federation soldiers she knew were here. There was only one she did not know. He stood in between Hesh and her father. The sadistic grin he painted across his face matched her father's. _

_ "Aw, she's scared!" The unknown man knelt down beside her, running his hand across her cheek. Mariah thrashed her head around, trying to get his hand off of her face. _

_ "Don't touch me!" She screamed, more blood pouring out of her mouth. It added itself to the collective around her appendages. _

_ "Common, sweetie," Mariah trembled as her father picked her up, effortlessly. The blood continued to cling to her skin, "be nice – we won't hurt you."_

_ "Yeah, girl," Merrick grinned, patting her forehead, "be like your father – be strong." _

_ "Conniving." Hesh added._

_ "Sadistic." Neptune pulled a blade from some unseen area – her blade – and gently traced its tip along her chest. Mariah felt the blood starting to dampen her underlying skin. _

_ "Cunning." Kick loomed over her._

_ "Morbid."_

_ "Insane."_

_ "Unstable."_

_ "Evil."_

_ Mariah clenched her eyes shut. The voices assaulted her ears. Each word sent a pain of agony, regret and resentment pulsing through her. Their voices were mounting in a crescendo. She wanted to scream but she knew she would not make a sound. Her body floated limp for all of them to gawk at. The voices kept surrounding her… choking her. Each new word added to her agony. Mariah could not take this. _

_ "Daddy's girl. Daddy's girl. Daddy's girl." They all started to chant. Mariah felt them closing in on her. There was nothing she could do to stop it. For a final time, Mariah let out a scream. The blood spewed out of her mouth and encased her entire being. It felt like fire was scorching her as the blood soaked her body. The exposed skin started to melt off her body as –_

"Hey!" Mariah's eyes fluttered open as she suddenly sat up in her bed, looking at the man who stood before her. In his hands he clutched a M9 in his left hand, "you okay?"

"Yeah… I'm fine." Mariah wiped the beads of sweat that had collected on her brow. It had been a dream. To her, it might as well have been reality. Looking towards the man, he looked her over and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. Ever since her outburst and her true identity revealed, Merrick had kept her confined in these quarters. A week had passed. The only time she was allowed out was when she had to use the bathroom or when the doctor needed to check on her wounds.

It was always awkward walking pass a Ghost member – especially Hesh. When their eyes would meet, she would always see the cold stare of resentment… with something else lying dormant underneath. Her whole soul hoped against hope that he still cared for her. Hesh had spent copious amounts of time with her – he of all people should know how she really was. Mariah was not a daddy's girl.

Standing up from her bed, Mariah paced around the room. Anytime now, Daniel – the man who was in charge of guarding her – would be here with her meal. It bothered Mariah how she had to be under close guard. If she would have done anything, it would have happened.

Mariah turned her head as the door swung open. It was the last – almost last – person she wanted to see at the moment.

"Merrick." Mariah spat, clenching her fist, "I see you know I still exist."

"Yes," Mariah's eyes followed his steps as each foot connected with the floor, "and so does everyone else."

"What?" Mariah's eyes widened. What had Merrick done?

"Tomorrow you are being transferred to an undisclosed location and questioned."

"You're going to interrogate a kid?" Mariah stepped towards him, looking into his vacant eyes.

"You're not just a kid," he walked back towards the door, turning to face her one last time," you're his kid – and they know it."

"You son of a-" Merrick slammed the door and cut off Mariah's statement. A million different things were running through her mind at that point. There was nothing she could do. For once in her life, she wanted her father. He would deal with this. All Mariah wanted at this point was to be free. The world did not need to know who she was. For over a decade they had gone without knowing, why should it have to change?

Mariah did not sleep that night. All she could do was think – think about the future. What were they going to do to her? What where they going to ask her? Would they harm her? Mariah knew the Ghosts and could anticipate what they would do… but they were only a piece of this foreign puzzle. The night gave her mind too much to contemplate. By the time morning had arrived, she had only managed to get an hour of sleep or so.

When the sun shone through her window, she stood in front of her mirror and thoroughly looked at her complexion. Her eyes looked tired. Mentally – and physically – she was. Mariah wanted this to end. She did her best to not look sad or defeated. She did not want them to see her down – they would simply use that to their advantage. Clenching her fists, she stared herself down in the mirror.

"You are his daughter – not him." She spoke in a whisper, taking in a deep breath. Daniel had brought in the night before the clothing she was to wear. A simple black long sleeve top, a pair of black pants with a pair of combat boots was the attire they wanted. For once, everything was her size. Even with the cast still on her arm, she managed to get everything on. The familiar sound of the door opening did not catch her attention, this time. Mariah simply stared at her reflection. Why did she have to be his daughter? Everyone who had ever met her and knew who she was always saw their resemblance. It was a curse. Mariah ran her hand over her scar and saw her reflection change into a reflection of her father. Shutting her eyes, Mariah felt a hand being laid on her shoulder.

"It's time." Daniel stated, coaxing her out of the room. With a vacant expression Mariah walked in front of him. Merrick had not permitted taking the possessions she had brought with her. Pushing the thought out of her mind, Mariah continued on, noting the faces that were staring at her. Kick looked away, trying to make himself look busy at the computer. Inside, Mariah wanted to say something to him for those days she had spent with him in the command center.

Daniel was suited up in full a full combat outfit. The way he poised his KA-BAR at Mariah made a chill run through her. If she tried to escape – which would be futile – would give him cause to kill her… but would he? They wanted her alive. Once Mariah had recovered herself from being lost in thought, she realized she was being led to the rooftop. The door was being held open by Hesh.

Stepping out, her hair flew around in the wind the twin choppers were picking up. Daniel stepped out in front of her and walked over to the closer of the two choppers. With each step Mariah took, she felt herself getting closer and closer into to unknown. All around her were men clad in combat uniforms…and there here she was. Their eyes looked at her with intrigue mixed with disgust, except for Hesh's. As she passed him, she saw his eyes still had a glimmer of something else in them. Mariah wished she knew what it really was. Approaching the helicopter, Daniel picked her up and helped her in. Even though she was about to be with her father's enemies, this ride would be something special. The only time she had ever been in a helicopter was when she was first with the Ghosts. All other types of flying she had done were in actual planes.

Daniel jumped in after her and fastened her in her seat. Mariah watched him take his place directly across from her. Four other men, clad in uniforms she had never seen before sat in the empty seats. She could feel all of their eyes on her.

"Tango in custody." one of the men spoke into a radio. Mariah heard the chopper picking up speed as the blades turned vigorously.

"Roger. Stand by for takeoff." Another voice spoke through his radio. Mariah watched as they took off from the building and hovered for a few moments. The chopper slightly jerked as it pulled away and ascended into the sky. Mariah leaned out of her seat, straining against the restraints and watched the world go by. Mariah could not believe this was happening.

"Airborne. T-minus three hours to destination. Stay frosty."

"Holy shit this view is amazing!" Mariah could not help but smile as they cleared the complex.

"Better take a good long look," One of the officers sitting next to her looked at her, "you won't get this good of a view for a long, long time."

Mariah looked into his eyes as soon as he finished speaking. What was he getting at?

"What do you mean by that?" Mariah sat back in her seat, glancing around at them all. No one said anything. Mariah rolled her eyes. _They've probably been instructed not to talk to me._

"What? Not allowed to 'engage the Tango'?" Mariah exhaled deeply.

"You're correct, girl."

"I have a name."

"Does it matter?"

Yes it mattered. If it did not matter, Mariah would not have been in this position. What is in a name? Everything. If you have the wrong name, everything in your life would be wrong Everything you ever tried to do would be meaningless. It would be used against you. For the rest of the flight, Mariah kept her mouth shut and simply watched the land underneath them blur in the distance. The flight seemed to go on forever. Where were they taking her? Why did this 'undisclosed location' have to be so far away? Mariah wished they would land soon.

Her wish came true.

"Hostile chopper spotted." A panicked pilot's voice rang out through all of their radios.

"Roger that," one of the men replied, cocking his weapon, "protect Tango at all costs."

"OH SHIT! MISSLES AIRBORNE!" Mariah sunk into her seat as she felt the pilot jerk the chopper to avoid being hit. Unfortunately for him, it clipped the side and forced the chopper to spin, leaving it open for another attack. Another missile impacted on the back of the chopper and caused it to go into a downwards spiral.

"Great White, Tango is yours!" Mariah watched as Daniel grabbed a parachute and undid her restraints. Mariah held onto him as best as she could. With a quick push off, Mariah and Daniel were falling out of the chopper. The wind rushed past Mariah's face as the picked up speed. It seemed like an eternity before he pulled the chute. Mariah dared not to look down. This was not good. She could hear explosions and gunfire from above still. The second chopper had not been hit.

When they finally hit the ground, Mariah felt herself shaking. The weight of her current situation was too much for her. Someone had almost killed her.

"We have to keep moving." Daniel picked her up from the ground.

"Are we in no man's land?" Mariah asked as she tried to keep up with him.

"Yes." He replied, making sure his weapon was loaded. Suddenly, he pulled her behind a thick tree trunk and shielded her body.

"Find the girl. He wants her." She heard an unknown voice order, passing by. That was a close call. Why did everyone want her?

"Daniel," Mariah whispered, "We're screwed."

"Mariah, I'm going to get you out alive."

_He said nothing about himself…_

Daniel sat up looked her in the eyes. As he was about to say something, Mariah froze. A bullet grazed across her temple and lodged into his throat. Blood sprayed across her face as she watched his once exuberant eyes fill with lifelessness. Mariah sat there, looking into those eyes. Within a few moments, she felt a hand turn her around.

"I've found her." The man spoke into his headset.

Mariah looked him over. She knew this man. He was one of her father's men.

"Jackson?" Mariah outstretched her hand to him and he helped her up.

"Yes, Mariah," he smiled at her, draping his hand around her shoulder, "you're safe now."

He walked her over down the path until they had reached a LMV that was waiting. Mariah climbed into the passenger seat and looked at the Federation soldiers that were moving out of their way. A short drive later and Mariah could not believe her eyes. Merrick and Hesh, along with a few other soldiers she did not recognize were being marched at gunpoint to a vehicle. Jackson pulled up beside a man who watched, silently. Mariah gasped as she saw him.

"Dad?" Mariah intoned softly.

"Mariah," her father turned to face her, "I'm glad you're okay."

"Mostly." Mariah wiped the blood that continued to trickle down the side of her forehead.

"We'll talk when we get home. Daddy has work to do." Rorke ruffled her hair and turned, walking towards the Ghosts.

"I know," Mariah watched him as the vehicle pulled away, "I know."


End file.
